Jim Bob Duggar, an outspoken evangelical Christian whose large family was featured in the TLC reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” has announced he’s running for a seat in the Arkansas Senate.
Duggar, who previously served in the Arkansas House, announced Friday on the family’s Facebook page that he’s running for the district in northwest Arkansas that includes Springdale.
Last week, Republican state Sen. Lance Eads resigned the seat to take a job in the private sector. A special election will be called to fill the term.
TLC pulled “19 Kids and Counting” in 2015 over revelations that Duggar’s son, Josh, had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter. His parents said he confessed to the fondling and apologized. Josh Duggar has also apologized for his pornography addiction and for cheating on his wife.
Josh Duggar is set to go to trial in federal court in November on two counts of downloading and possessing child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count if convicted.
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A longtime family spokesman, Chad Gallagher, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that no family “is immune from tragedy, heartbreak or impact from the decisions of the ones they love.”
He added that it’s “important to note that Josh is a grown adult.”
Jim Bob Duggar, who was born and raised in Springdale, and his wife Michelle have 20 children and 22 grandchildren.
“Now more than ever, we need a bold voice that is pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun and pro-life,” Duggar said in the announcement. “It’s time for conservatives to demand courageous leadership that puts Arkansas families, jobs, and our constitutional liberties first.”
This is Duggar’s second run for the district. In 2006, he was defeated in the Republican primary.
Related podcast: Julie Roys interviews a leading expert on “Understanding the Duggar Cult”
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4 Responses
Mr. Jim Bob Duggar is not responsible for the actions of his adult children. Anyone who has adult children knows this from personal experiences. He is an astute business man, a personable leader and he loves God and his family above all things. He has political experience in state government. Depending on who his opposition candidate maybe he could be the wisest choice for the Arkansas Senate
Betty, JimBob also is one of those who papered over his son’s previous offenses, paving the way for whatever happened here. Sorry, but this is, and should be, an issue in his campaign. If I were voting, I’d have to have a really bad opponent to pull the lever for him after that one.
BP,
Sexual predators usually start before turning 18. It’s like a drunk driver finally getting pulled over after years of getting away with it, the arrest does not determine when the behavior started, only when they got caught.
Betty Phillips,
Even if Jim Bob had absolutely nothing to do with Josh’s actions, which I am skeptical of–this is a pernicious and toxic cultist who desecrates the name of Christ with his false gospel of works. I’m going to bet most of the people praising Jim Bob had nothing but hatred for Romney for being a Mormon (and no, I am not a fan of Romney, I digress–but you see my point).