The Duggar family has been in the minds of reality show fans since 2004, when they debuted their first show, 14 Kids and Pregnant Again. Jim Bob Duggar, the patriarch of the Duggar clan, has been sharing his growing family and unique family convictions ever since that first special on TLC. The most recent show, Counting On, was canceled thanks to the arrest of the oldest son, Josh Duggar. However, he is not letting his family issues and all the media coverage slow down his personal aspirations. In fact, Jim Bob Duggar is throwing his hat in the political ring and is officially running for the Arkansas State Senate.
Jim Bob Duggar is running for the Arkansas State Senate
Jim Bob Duggar made the announcement on the Official Duggar Family Facebook page on Oct. 29, 2021, that he is running for the Arkansas State Senate District 7. People reports he plans to run a “pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun and pro-life” campaign.
Duggar said, “I’m running for State Senate because these are unprecedented times in our nation. Out-of-control bureaucrats have put politics over common-sense policy with government mandates that force people to choose between earning a paycheck and violating their personal rights and beliefs.”
He further added, “The foundational principles that have made our nation great are under threat like never before. It’s time for conservatives to demand courageous leadership that puts Arkansas families, jobs, and our constitutional liberties first.”
The timing is interesting, considering Josh Duggar is facing child porn charges
The Duggar family was once a tight-knit large family. They have recently fractured due to the controversy stemming from the arrest of the oldest son, Josh. The eldest child of Jim Bob and Michelle was arrested back in April 2021 on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.
Josh pleaded not guilty. “We intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly,” his defense attorneys have stated. “In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do.”
The timing of Duggar’s run for Arkansas State Senate is interesting in light of Josh’s arrest and upcoming trial. Also, TLC has since cut ties with the Duggar family completely and ceased filming Counting On.
This is not the first time TLC canceled a Duggar family reality show. It was six years ago when 19 Kids and Counting was canceled after evidence of Josh molesting five underage girls, four of whom were his own sisters, surfaced. Three months later, a data hack revealed Josh was a paid member of the Ashley Madison website and actively cheating on his wife.
Josh is currently staying with family friends as he awaits trial because the court says he can’t live with his wife and six kids. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar continue to stand by their son all while Jim Bob is running for the State Senate in Arkansas.
Jim Bob Duggar and son Jedidiah are no stranger to politics.
Duggar is no stranger to running for political office. In fact, he previously ran for the Arkansas House of Representatives and won the election. He served four years in this office from 1999 to 2002.
Jim Bob is not the only Duggar to seek public office. His son, Jedidiah Duggar, also made a bid for the State House of Representatives in 2020. Jedidiah also ran on a conservative platform with many of the same campaign promises as his Dad. Ultimately, Jedidiah’s run for office proved to be a failure despite his best efforts; he lost to incumbent Democrat, Megan Godfrey.
Time will tell what happens with the State Senate run of Jim Bob Duggar and the trial of his son, Josh.
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