Jimmie Lou Fisher was one of the state’s longest-serving constitutional offices and the first female major-party contender for Arkansas governor, has died.
Fisher began her political career as Greene County treasurer in 1970, but her relationship and partnership with young Bill Clinton during his congressional race in 1974 launched her state political career.
Fisher, a Paragould resident, was 81 years old
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Her final campaign came in 2002 when Democratic Party officials convinced her to run for governor against popular Republican governor Mike Huckabee, who was seeking a second full term.
Despite being massively outspent and suffering from a debilitating back injury, Fisher garnered 47 percent of the vote.
Fisher, a Democrat, was first elected as Greene County treasurer, a position she held for eight years.
Clinton, then governor, selected her to fill a vacancy as state auditor in 1979.
She was elected state treasurer two years later, a position she maintained for 22 years before being term-limited.
