Arkansas Senator Jim Hendren, a former Republican from Gravette, has announced his decision to leave the GOP and form an Independent party called Common Ground Arkansas. Common Ground Arkansas is a new organization aimed at working in a bipartisan fashion. In a video statement, he cited his tipping point were the pro-Trump riots and insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Sen. Hendren believes he can do the best work for Arkansas from an Independent platform, not bound to either party. "I've been frustrated with the tone of politics for some time... what I've seen in both parties is a structure that's gotten more and more extreme, and left more and more people without a voice," Hendren said. - KUAFAccording to the Washington Post, for the first time in history, there are more registered independents in the United States than there are registered Republicans. Andrew Dowdle, a political science professor at the U of A, says Hendren's decision is "thought provoking" and should promote a conversation among all voters about the nature of American politics. - 40/29 News"We want to encourage the trip across the aisle and make it easier to resist forces that continue to push both parties to extremes," Hendren said. Listen to the full story on KUAF.
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