In Arkansas, a last stand by embattled Democrats

In this photo taken Aug. 18, 2012, legislative candidates parade past delegates at the Democratic Party of Arkansas state convention in North Little Rock, Ark. When state Democrats talk about their 2012 priorities, they are focusing on races that could decide whether the Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

In this photo taken Aug. 18, 2012, legislative candidates parade past delegates at the Democratic Party of Arkansas state convention in North Little Rock, Ark. When state Democrats talk about their 2012 priorities, they are focusing on races that could decide whether the Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

In this photo taken Aug. 18, 2012, Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Will Bond attends the party's state convention in North Little Rock, Ark. When state Democrats talk about their 2012 priorities, they are focusing on races that could decide whether the Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

In this photo taken Aug. 18, 2012, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe speaks to delegates at the Democratic Party of Arkansas state convention in North Little Rock, Ark. When Beebe and other state Democrats talk about their 2012 priorities, they are focusing on races that could decide whether the Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

In this photo taken Aug. 18, 2012, Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, bottom left, and other legislative candidates parade past delegates at the Democratic Party of Arkansas state convention in North Little Rock, Ark. When state Democrats talk about their 2012 priorities, they are focusing on races that could decide whether the Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) ? When top Arkansas Democrats talk about their priorities in the 2012 election, they hardly mention the battle for the White House or the state's four congressional seats.

Instead, they're focused on whether the state Legislature falls to Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction.

It's a last stand for Democrats, who fear that the GOP is poised to end a party tradition that began as the former Confederate state was still emerging from the aftermath of the Civil War.

Arkansas is the only part of the old Confederacy where Democrats control the state Legislature and the governor's mansion. That's a point of pride for a party that hasn't been able to win the state's electoral votes since native son Bill Clinton was on the ticket.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-09-17-Arkansas-Going%20GOP/id-68b33f944b4a4720a51b930047ddf81a

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