Changes

==Other political activities==

==Other political activities==

In 1980, Blaylock had supported the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, who fared poorly in the struggle against Ronald W. Reagan but ran better in Arkansas than in most other states. At one point, Blaylock arranged to unite the Baker and Reagan forces to stop delegates from going to George Herbert Walker Bush of Texas.[18] In 2004, Blaylock donated to the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign and to the Arkansas state GOP organization.[19]

In 1980, Blaylock had supported the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator [[Howard Baker]] of [[Tennessee]], who fared poorly in the struggle against [[Ronald W. Reagan]] but ran better in Arkansas than in most other states. At one point, Blaylock arranged to unite the Baker and Reagan forces to stop delegates from going to [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] of Texas.[18]  

When William Thomas "Bill" Kelly of Little Rock resigned as party chairman after a short period of tenure in 1985, Blaylock as the first vice-chairman filled the remainder of the two-year term. The period was difficult because party coffers were empty, Blaylock recalled. It was during this time that Blaylock invited U.S. Senator [[Barry Goldwater]] of Arizona to meet with Arkansas Republicans in Little Rock.[2] And 1986 was the year that one of the promising new Republican leaders, Asa Hutchinson of [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], later a member of the United States House of Representatives, was defeated in a bid for the U.S. Senate by a wide margin by the incumbent Dale Bumpers, who secured the third of his four terms. Bumpers had defeated Blaylock for governor in 1972. Hutchinson was subsequently crushed by the Democrat Mike Beebe in the 2006 gubernatorial race. However, Hutchinson was elected Governor in 2014. and again in 2018.

 

In 2004, Blaylock donated to the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign and to the Arkansas state GOP organization.[19]

When William Thomas "Bill" Kelly of Little Rock resigned as party chairman after a short period of tenure in 1985, Blaylock as the first vice-chairman filled the remainder of the two-year term. The period was difficult because party coffers were empty, Blaylock recalled. It was during this time that Blaylock invited U.S. Senator [[Barry Goldwater]] of Arizona to meet with Arkansas Republicans in Little Rock.[2] And 1986 was the year that one of the promising new Republican leaders, Asa Hutchinson of [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], later a member of the United States House of Representatives, was defeated in a bid for the U.S. Senate by a wide margin by the incumbent Dale Bumpers, who secured the third of his four terms. Bumpers had defeated Blaylock for governor in 1972. Hutchinson was subsequently crushed by the Democrat Mike Beebe in the 2006 gubernatorial race. However, Hutchinson was elected governor in 2014. and again in 2018.

   

   

By 2010, at the end of his life, Blaylock had grown far more conservative than he had been at the beginning of his political career. He attended a Tea Party movement gathering and later hailed the election of the new U.S. Senator John Boozman over Democrat Blanche Lincoln, newly elected U.S. Representative Rick Crawford in normally Democratic eastern Arkansas, and a new state senator from his own Perry County, Jason Rapert. He even recalled Rockefeller as having been more conservative than perceived at the time: "I wouldn't say he was liberal. He certainly had some different ideas."[20]

By 2010, at the end of his life, Blaylock had grown far more conservative than he had been at the beginning of his political career. He attended a Tea Party movement gathering and later hailed the election of the new U.S. Senator John Boozman over Democrat Blanche Lambert Lincoln, newly elected U.S. Representative Rick Crawford in normally Democratic eastern Arkansas, and a new state senator from his own Perry County, Jason Rapert. He even recalled Rockefeller as having been more conservative than perceived at the time: "I wouldn't say he was liberal. He certainly had some different ideas."[20]

Blaylock and his wife, Melba, previous victims of a house fire, resided in his later years on their vastly reduced 6-acre farm at Nimrod near Perryville, a part of the Little Rock Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Blaylock was a [[Southern Baptist]] and attended the Nimrod Baptist Church.[1]

Blaylock and his wife, Melba, previous victims of a house fire, resided in his later years on their vastly reduced 6-acre farm at Nimrod near Perryville, a part of the Little Rock Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Blaylock was a [[Southern Baptist]] and attended the Nimrod Baptist Church.[1]