Campaign Manager Contributes to Primary Upsets

Bart Hester's first run for public office has ended on a high note.

This political newcomer defeated Representative Tim Summers, R-Bentonville, in the race for the District 1 State Senate seat.

"You've got to have a coach that has a good game plan, and there was no doubt we had the right game plan," Hester said.

Hester hired Keith Emis, with Diamond State Consulting, to run his campaign.

Emis said he and his business partner Ted Thomas won't campaign for just anyone.

"For my partner and I, one of our basic philosophies is we just won't work with somebody if they're going to want to raise taxes."

Emis also worked on Representative Jon Woods', R-Springdale, successful run for a state Senate seat against incumbent Senator Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins.

Emis said in both races, it came down to taxes.

"People of Arkansas do not want to pay higher taxes and our government has been so averse to that concept of no new taxes that the politicians are finally beginning to pay the price for that."

But Emis said the real work comes from the candidates themselves.

"All we do is help put things in place but the impetus to get the money to do it and knock on the doors has to come from the candidate, nobody else can do that."

Throughout the race, Hester said Emis was dead on about everything, even the early vote counts.

"For two weeks he'd been telling me you're going to lose the early vote by about five points, it's all likely and prepare for that, and so I prepared all my family and everybody, when the early vote comes I'm going to be down about five points but it's okay we're going to win," Hester said.

In the end, both men say all the hard work was well worth it.

"There's a belief when you start that what you're going to do will work but nobody else believes you," Emis said.  "It's very rewarding to see those results come in when really nobody else thinks that you can win."