*Grant Tennille, seen here in 2014, was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas on Saturday.*
CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS

By STEVE BRAWNER / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

Grant Tennille, the former economic development chief under Gov. Mike Beebe who helped bring Big River Steel to Arkansas, was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas and said he will use his “tons of relationships” to build the party in a solidly red state.

Tennille defeated Jim Wallace of Eureka Springs at the Democrats’ State Committee meeting held Saturday. The previous chair, Michael John Gray, had left to become the executive director of Liberty and Justice for Arkansas, a group whose purpose is to “combat Trumpism” and “defeat Sarah Huckabee Sanders,” a Republican candidate for governor.

Tennille said in an interview he intends to work full-time as Democratic Party chair, an unpaid position. He said his “first order of business” is to raise money, get the headquarters in order, and return the staff to full strength.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/grant-tennille-elected-arkansas-democratic-party-chair