Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Andrew Fulbright: Bob Hefner was a 'millstone around my neck' in 2020 campaign

MARCHANDE, ARA -- The 2020 elections were almost a year ago, but some candidates are still reflecting on the results.

Armana Senate candidate Andrew Fulbright, a moderate, young Conservative who challenged NAT Senator Serap Figaori, is one of those who is still reflecting on the 2020 race.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Mr. Fulbright, the son of former Gov. Dale Fulbright, was polling even with the liberal Figaori.

But when all the votes were tallied, Fulbright came up short, losing to Figaori 46%-51%.

In a radio interview this week with conservative talk show host Lew Fitzgibbons, Fulbright was asked why he lost by a still respectable but unexpectedly large margin in his 2020 race.

He attributed part of his loss to the fact that Armana is a blue state.

"It's hard for Conservatives to win in Armana, there are so many more NAT voters, you have to get many of them to cross over and support you," said Fulbright.

But the main reason he lost so astoundingly?

Conservative gubernatorial candidate Bob Hefner.

"I think the main reason I did so poorly was because it wasn't just me running. I was sharing the Conservative ballot with someone who was basically a self-described Donald Trump-type candidate, and that turned off a lot of Independent voters, it turned off a lot of traditionally Conservative voters, and it definitely turned off and motivated a lot of NAT voters," said Fulbright.

"It was hard to overcome that wave of NAT voters. The Conservative turnout just wasnt strong enough to carry me across the finish line."

The 'someone' Fulbright was referring to was Conservative gubernatorial nominee Hefner, an outspoken businessman who campaigned on a populist, anti-politically correct platform.

Fulbright didn't initially mention Hefner by name, but did so when pressed for specifics by host Lew Fitzgibbons.

"Who are you referring to?" asked Fitzgibbons."Are you referring to Bob Hefner?"

"Who else?" Fulbright replied curtly.

Mr. Fulbright went on to take personal responsibility for his loss.

"At the end of the day, it was my campaign, I was the candidate, I lost the race and had I ran a better campaign, I would've won. But I didn't adequately distance myself from Bob Hefner, I was trying to tread a fine line between satisfying the base voters and swing voters, and looking back, I should have just stood up and spoken my mind more assertively and let the chips fall where they may."

"I should have been my authentic self and if the base, hard-line Hefner supporters don't vote for me, so be it. But I didn't want to offend those voters, so I stayed quiet on Hefner and my opponent on the NAT effectively tied me to Hefner."

"Hefner was a millstone around my neck," Fulbright said.

Other factors were at play too, though.

Figaori effectively portrayed Fulbright as a "spoiled rich kid who only cared about rich people."

"They (the Figaori campaign) cast me as an out-of-touch rich guy who only cares about the one percent. And of course that's not true, but they wanted to and I think they effectively did portray me as a preppy, private school guy who was not sympathetic to working class people."

Fulbright, age 42, does come from a privileged background. He was born into ancestral money, and he did attend private schools and ivy league universities.

Serap Figaori also attended elite universities, although he came from a more humble background.

It was "a number of things" that contributed to his defeat in 2020, said Fulbright.

But despite blaming Bob Hefner, in part at least, Mr. Fulbright said he understands why Hefner appeals to Conservative voters.

"He's outspoken and off-color, which is a turn off to a lot of people, but some people like that brash, candid, blunt personality. And with the terrible NAT policies we've seen from politicians in Mavocke and in New Salem, I think a lot of people are hungry for that decisive, brash leadership," Fulbright added.

Fulbright has not spoken to Hefner or Figaori since the election.

He did offer praise for Armana Gov. Leandra Kemmes, however, saying the NAT incumbent has handled COVID-19 "pretty well" and she didn't cave to demands from anti-police activists.

"I think Leandra Kemmes is an NAT governor that moderate Conservatives can get behind and work with," Fulbright said.

When reached by phone for comment on Fulbright's remarks, Bob Hefner told a reporter for the Marchande Herald that he had no comment, but quickly said that "nobody cares what Andrew Fulbright has to say."

"Fulbright lost because he was a terrible candidate who campaigned on moderate policies, he tried to appease Nationalists and the left. That's not a winning formula and that's why he failed miserably," said Hefner, before hanging up.

Hefner lost to Gov. Leandra Kemmes (N) 43%-54%, respectively.

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