SCOOP: Arkansas AFL-CIO declines to answer whether it stands by Hallie Shoffner after her call to “trade Americans for illegal immigrants”

Hallie Shoffner, the Democrats’ Senate nominee in Arkansas, is unlikely to oust Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) in November. But Shoffner recently made international news with her quip that she “would trade five Americans for one” illegal immigrant worker.

Now, those remarks are causing problems for Shoffner’s would-be colleagues and for her ticket-mates in deep-red Arkansas. Shoffner’s stated preference for illegal workers puts her seemingly at odds with the Arkansas branch of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which endorsed her Senate campaign. 

The Arkansas AFL-CIO told Shoffner it endorsed her campaign because of her “strong support and belief in your commitment to working-family issues, which will inspire confidence in your campaign across the Natural State.” The organization did not respond to a request for comment on how it reconciles its support for Hoffner, who suggested that she has also employed illegal workers herself.

Shoffner’s gaffe is also causing headaches for Chris Jones, who is running an uphill campaign against Rep. French Hill (R., Ark.). Jones, whose campaign did not respond to a request for comment, was previously easily defeated by now-Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R., Ark.) in 2022; Sanders is expected to easily win in November.

An Arkansas political operative told the Reporter, “I’ve worked on dozens of campaigns. Hallie Shoffner’s comment about trading five Americans for one illegal immigrant is the most damning clip I have ever seen. It’s almost a parody of what an elitist liberal would say. If the Cotton campaign doesn’t put that clip up on TV immediately it will be malpractice. Shoffner is going to be a drag on every other Democrat running for office in Arkansas.” 

Finally, Shoffner’s stated preference for illegal immigrant labor — and her belief that five Americans equal one illegal worker — are problematic for the few national Democrats who endorsed her bid. 

Sen. Andy Kim (D., N.J.), one of the handful of national Democrats to back Shoffner, did not respond to request for comment about whether he agrees with Shoffner.