Stephen Bright accused of abuse as Arkansas Democrats call for withdrawal
Arkansas House candidate Stephen Bright faces calls to exit his legislative race in Little Rock. Party leaders want him out over past domestic abuse claims found in domestic court records. The pressure follows a public dispute over prior divorce cases.
Officials held a news conference on Wednesday. They urged Bright to withdraw from the Arkansas House District 71 race. They also called on Republican leaders to condemn his conduct.
Bright disputes the allegations. Democratic Party officials cited records from a 2015 divorce filing by his current wife, Leah. She asked the court to dismiss that case in 2019.
His first wife filed for divorce in 2006. That filing included a protective order request that was later dismissed. Party officials claim offline case records show an abusive pattern.
A campaign spokesperson issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon. The spokesperson said the records stem from a hard family period over ten years ago.
“The allegations originated during divorce proceedings that were ultimately dismissed,” the statement continues. “According to Bright, the matters were reviewed by the Arkansas Department of Human Services and Arkansas State Police, and the investigations concluded without findings against him.”
Bright said he and his wife moved forward together. State Representative Brandon Achor held the District 71 seat and is now running for state Senate. Achor dropped his endorsement of Bright on Wednesday.
Achor posted his decision on his Facebook campaign page. He said Bright failed to disclose his complicated history.
“I have asked that he remove my public endorsement and finish his race on his own merit,” Achor said.
District courts review petitions for protective orders during domestic relations cases. Judges decide whether to grant or dismiss such requests based on submitted evidence.
Bright faces Democratic nominee Cassandra Mayes in the Little Rock area election. Early voting in Arkansas is underway.
