Gus Wingfield
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Gus Wingfield (born September 17, 1926 in Antoine, Arkansas) is a former one term Arkansas State Treasurer, and two term Arkansas State Auditor, 1994-2003. He served from 2003-2007.
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[edit] Early life
Wingfield was born in Antoine, Arkansas and went to a public school in the nearby town of Delight, Arkansas. He served in the Air Force, and is a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. After the Korean War he attended college at the Southern Technical Institute in Dallas, Texas, and later went to the University of Arkansas.
[edit] Business Career
Gus Wingfield became a respected employee at the Bank of Delight, where his saviness and intelligence, as well as his well connected family, helped him quickly rise the ranks. By 1968, he had become Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. He went on to hold that position for 22 years, until, in 1980, when he retired to run for public office.
[edit] Early Political Career
In 1980 he ran for the Arkansas House of Representatives and won the District 18 election. He served a total of 14 years a State Representative, during which he became highly respected, and well known within Democratic circles, which helped him in the 1994 primary for State Auditor.
[edit] 1994 Election as State Auditor
He left the State House of Representatives to run for State Auditor in the Republican year of 1994, however, their gains in Arkansas were minimal. The most competitive part of the race was the primary, which he narrowly won, defeating fellow State Representative Bobby Tullis by just over 3 percentage points. He went on to easily win the General Election, defeating the Republican candidate 63-37. He went on to serve two terms as a respected, and competent State Auditor without any notable controversies or slips. Indeed, that has been the sum of his entire life. Throughout his life Wingfield has been known for his strong work ethic, and his financial saviness. His political career has been remarkably low key for this day and age, which made him an almost invisible statewide official, while all the while he worked diligently and competently behind the scenes.
In 2002, When Democrat Jimmie Lou Fisher, the long time State Treasurer of Arkansas, having served the maximum number of terms under the 1994 terms limits approved by Arkansas voters, ran against incumbent Republican Mike Huckabee, Gus Wingfield ran for her open State Treasurer Seat. He won the Democratic easily, and ended up winning what was a surprisingly competitive and close statewide race against Randy Bynum. Wingfield took only 57% of the vote in that election, which turned out to be his smallest margin in the three statewide elections he has run, and in his entire political career.
Wingfield is notable as he never lost an election, however this is far from uncommon in Arkansas, and in the South where Incumbency often rules. He, despite being a long time Arkansas politician, and being almost 80, has never considered himself an old style Southern politician like former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, and current Tennessee Lieutenant Governor John S. Wilder, nor did he ever act much like one in his mannerisms and actions.
[edit] Political Views
Gus Wingfield is considered a part of the conservative wing of the U.S. Democratic Party. He is strongly pro-life, pro-gun, and against gay marriage. He nearly lost his 1994
One reason he has always performed fairly strongly is his views, and his great understanding of the issues and problems of rural Arkansas, which have earned him much respect from rural areas across the state.
[edit] Retirement
Gus Wingfield has said he has no intentions of running for further public office, and that he would like to enjoy retirement before he dies. He told Arkansas News Bureau, in this article, [1] ""We're looking at a great trip. We want to catch Amtrak and go up through Canada and all the away across Canada and view the Rockies, do stuff like that." He has made it clear that he all he wants to do is travel parts of the U.S. he's never seen, and then when he's had his fill, he intends to come home to Delight, Arkansas, and live out the rest of his life with his wife Alice Wingfield at their local home.
[edit] Election History
2002 General Election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) | 445,639 | 57.49 | |
| Randy Bynum (R) | 329,428 | 42.51 | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) elected Arkansas State Treasurer | |||
1998 General Election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) | Unopposed | Unopposed | |
| Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) re-elected for 2nd term | |||
1994 General Election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) | 423,307 | 62.96 | |
| Darrell Glascock (R) | 249,051 | 37.04 | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) elected Arkansas State Auditor. | |||
1994 Democratic Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) | 166,856 | 51.84 | |
| Bobby Tullis (D) | 155,018 | 48.16 | |
| Gus Wingfield (D) wins the Democratic primary for State Auditor | |||
[edit] External Links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ??? |
Arkansas State Auditor 1995-2003 |
Succeeded by Jim Wood |
| Preceded by Jimmie Lou Fisher |
Arkansas State Treasurer 2003–2007 |
Succeeded by Martha Schoffner |
| State Treasurers of the United States | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AK: Bill Corbus (R) |
HI: Georgina K. Kawamura (R) |
ME: David Lemoine (D) |
NJ: Bradley Abelow (D) |
SD: Vern Larson (R) |
