Changes

Upon leaving John Brown University in 1969, Sheets became the full-time executive director of the Siloam Springs [[Chamber of Commerce]]<ref name=statement/> but the next year he was back in politics as the Republican nominee against the Democratic Secretary of State, Kelly Bryant of Hope in Hempstead County in south Arkansas. Hope is also the hometown of later Governors [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. In the 1970 campaign, Sheets was invited to ride on Rockefeller’s helicopter.<ref name=statement/>  He won majorities in his own Benton County and the usually Republican Searcy County. By a single vote, Sheets lost in Washington County, where many of the local Democrats were also political reformers.  Official results showed Bryant with 360,209 (62.3 percent) to Sheets’ 216,752 (37.7 percent).<ref>Arkansas Secretary of State, Election results for November 5, 1970</ref>

Upon leaving John Brown University in 1969, Sheets became the full-time executive director of the Siloam Springs [[Chamber of Commerce]]<ref name=statement/> but the next year he was back in politics as the Republican nominee against the Democratic Secretary of State, Kelly Bryant of Hope in Hempstead County in south Arkansas. Hope is also the hometown of later Governors [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. In that 1970 campaign, Sheets was invited to ride on Rockefeller’s helicopter.<ref name=statement/>  He won majorities in his own Benton County and the usually Republican Searcy County. By a single vote, Sheets lost in Washington County, where many of the local Democrats were also political reformers.  Official results showed Bryant with 360,209 (62.3 percent) to Sheets’ 216,752 (37.7 percent).<ref>Arkansas Secretary of State, Election results for November 5, 1970</ref>

Sheets recalls that the last pre-election poll that he had seen showed the race competitive, but the situation changed quickly when [[U.S. Senator]] [[William Fulbright]] lent Bryant the use of his political team. Sheets said that he had never expected to win the race<ref name=statement/> though he finished in the balloting some twenty thousand votes ahead of Rockefeller.<ref>Arkansas election returns, November 5, 1970</ref>

Sheets recalls that the last pre-election poll that he had seen showed the race competitive, but the situation changed quickly when [[U.S. Senator]] J. William Fulbright lent Bryant the use of his political team. Sheets said that he had never expected to win the race<ref name=statement/> though he finished in the balloting some twenty thousand votes ahead of Rockefeller.<ref>Arkansas election returns, November 5, 1970</ref>

In his challenge to Kelly Bryant, considered part of the “Old Guard”,<ref>Kelly Bryant died in 1975 early in his seventh two-year term as secretary of state and is interred at Memory Gardens Cemetery south of Hope.</ref> Sheets said that part of his motive in running against Bryant was to procure regional name identification for a possible 1972 congressional race.  Earlier, [[U.S. Representative]] John Paul Hammerschmidt, the Harrison Republican and Medal of Honor winner first elected in 1966, along with Rockefeller and Maurice L. Britt, had informed Sheets that he believed, incorrectly as it turned out, that U.S. Senator John L. McClellan would retire in 1972.<ref>John McClellan (1896-1977) was elected to a final term which he did not complete. After he narrowly defeated U.S. Representative [[David Pryor]] for the 1972 Democratic senatorial nomination, McClellan then easily turned aside Republican Wayne Babbitt, a North Little Rock veterinarian, even though the [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Agnew]] ticket was easily carrying Arkansas that year.</ref>  Had that scenario developed, Hammerschmidt, known in particular for his prompt and effective constituent service,[<ref>Jack Bass and Walter DeVries, ''The Transformation of Southern Politics'', p. 104</ref> planned to run for the Senate and would have endorsed Sheets as his preferred House successor.<ref name=statement/>

In his challenge to Kelly Bryant, considered part of the "Old Guard",<ref>Kelly Bryant died in 1975 early in his seventh two-year term as secretary of state and is interred at Memory Gardens Cemetery south of Hope.</ref> Sheets said that part of his motive in running against Bryant was to procure regional name identification for a possible 1972 congressional race.  Earlier, [[U.S. Representative]] John Paul Hammerschmidt, the Harrison Republican and Medal of Honor winner first elected in 1966, along with Rockefeller and Maurice L. Britt, had informed Sheets that he believed, incorrectly as it turned out, that U.S. Senator John L. McClellan would retire in 1972.<ref>John McClellan (1896-1977) was elected to a final term which he did not complete. After he narrowly defeated U.S. Representative David Hampton Pryor for the 1972 Democratic senatorial nomination, McClellan then easily turned aside Republican Wayne Babbitt, a North Little Rock veterinarian, even though the [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]]-[[Spiro Agnew|Agnew]] ticket was easily carrying Arkansas that year.</ref>  Had that scenario developed, Hammerschmidt, known in particular for his prompt and effective constituent service,[<ref>Jack Bass and Walter DeVries, ''The Transformation of Southern Politics'', p. 104</ref> planned to run for the Senate and would have endorsed Sheets as his preferred House successor.<ref name=statement/>

===Managing the Ford campaign===

===Managing the Ford campaign===