Pakko for Arkansas Secretary of State

Why vote for Michael Pakko?

The Arkansas Secretary of State has a number of responsibilities, including the oversight of our state’s elections.

In today’s hyper-partisan political environment—where both sides accuse each other of of defrauding the system and disenfranchising the voters—the integrity of our elections system and the office that oversees them are called into question.

We need a Secretary of State who can stand above the bickering and serve as an honest broker, dedicated to serve the people, not the political parties in charge and the vested interests that finance their campaigns.

So if you agree that the two political parties are engaged in power politics to favor their big-money campaign donors rather than looking after the interests of the people of Arkansas, and if you believe that Arkansas voters deserve more and better choices on their ballot, or if you’re just fed-up with the two-party system, let your vote be noticed:

Vote different. Vote Libertarian.

Expertise & Experience

Dr. Michael Pakko has been a prominent economist in Arkansas for years, bringing information and analysis of the Arkansas economy to business and community leaders, and to the people of Arkansas.

Economic Outlook presentations around the state.

He has an established reputation in research and teaching, with a focus on the Arkansas economy. His analyses of economic issues have been sought by development organizations, the state legislature, and state administrative agencies. He is an active member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.

Member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.

For the past decade, Dr. Pakko has also been the State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Arkansas, helping to build an organization that provides the voters of Arkansas with more choices on their ballots.

As an effective communicator, Dr. Pakko is a frequent media commentator on the economy and politics of Arkansas. He plans to organize his campaign around promoting ideas for improving our electoral process, emphasizing the idea that we need more competition – more voices and more choices.

Frequent media commentator on the Arkansas economy.

As an economist, Dr. Pakko is detailed-oriented and knowledgeable about managing a budget. In his role as Chair of the Libertarian party, Dr. Pakko has experienced the challenges of leadership and administration. It all comes down to finding the right people to do the work that needs to be done.

The office of the Secretary of State is staffed by professionals who administer the departments that fall under its jurisdiction. The Secretary of State is the politically-elected CEO of this operation. In business, the role of a CEO includes recruiting and hiring the most highly qualified administrators. But all too often, a key credential for officers seems to be their political connections and their loyalty to the party or faction in charge.

“As Arkansas Secretary of State, I would make it my mission to recruit and hire the best administrators and employees available, regardless of party affiliation. More choices make for better decisions.”

Our Electoral System is Broken

One of the main duties of the Secretary or State is to oversee the conduct of elections in Arkansas. Our democratic system depends on institutions that earn and maintain the voters’ trust. But in today’s polarized political environment, even the most fundamental institutions of government—including the ballot box—have been politically weaponized.

When both sides of the two-party duopoly accuse each other of defrauding the system and disenfranchising the voters, the integrity of the office that oversees elections is itself called into question. We need to elect a Secretary of State who can rise above the bickering and serve as an honest broker who is dedicated to serve the people, not the political parties in charge.

As the leader of a third party in Arkansas, Dr. Pakko knows all too well how the entrenched status quo politicians stack the deck to exclude any outsiders who might challenge their hegemony. The insiders thereby maintain their power.

As a result, Arkansas has among the highest rates of voter apathy in the nation. Voter turnout percentages are consistently among the lowest and the number of uncontested elections is among the very highest. Why bother to vote when there are so few choices?

“I plan to focus on election reform proposals as a key part of my campaign. We should be encouraging voters to participate and in order to do so, we need to provide more competitiveness to the process.“

Vote Libertarian

The position of Secretary of State is enshrined in the Arkansas Constitution as an independent executive office, entrusted with stewardship of the electoral process. Yet, it is typically occupied by a career politician from one of the two major political parties. Rather than being an independent administrator and arbiter of the elections, the Secretary of State’s office has been a stepping stone for party loyalists in their political careers.

The role of Secretary of State is an independent constitutional office. If that independence is to be respected and supported, then perhaps the best person for the position is someone who is NOT part of the two-party system that has monopolized our state government for over 150 years.