Before assuming the role of the president of Hillsdale College in 2000, Larry Arnn served as president of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Political Statesmanship in Southern California. Thanks to population growth identified in the 1990 census, in 1992 a new congressional district, the 43rd, was drawn in West Riverside County, nearby to the Claremont Institute.
The infant district was predominately Republican by registration, and it seemed clear that whoever won the Republican primary would win the seat. Seven candidates entered the three-month sprint between the late announcement of the fledgling district and primary day. Arnn was one of them.
Arnn said in an email that he decided to run on the urging of many people and out of a desire to serve. “I thought I ought to try it before I died.”
Professor of politics R. J. Pestritto was a graduate student at the Claremont Institute during the election, and volunteered on Arnn’s campaign.
“I was doing full time in school and volunteering with Larry on the side,” he said. “So it was, you know, graduate students, faculty, people that knew the Arnns from Claremont and other parts of southern California going down there and doing the things that people do on a campaign.”
Though he lost the primary, Arnn said the experience taught him more about how American politics works.
“Elections are the way that free people govern themselves,” he said. “And many people take them seriously and reason well about them.”
Pestritto explained that there was a split in outside conservative support between Arnn and another candidate.
“There was, for lack of a better term, kind of an establishment candidate, a guy by the name of Ken Calvert, who was the party establishment pick for that seat,” Pestritto said. “And then, Dr. Arnn was sort of the Republican movement conservative candidate, and that lined up by way of endorsements.”
Calvert received both the local establishment endorsement and the endorsement of Pete Wilson, California’s governor at the time. Arnn received endorsements from nationally prominent conservatives, including Jack Kemp and Sen. Orrin Hatch.
“It was a very conservative district, so among the Republicans you wanted to show that you had conservative credentials,” Pestritto said. “It was an area where being pro-life was very important, so people wanted to see that.”
Calvert won the primary and the general election and serves as a congressman today.
Some of the lessons Arnn learned apply to his work today.
“I learned things about how hard it is to put together all the reasons why one thinks what one thinks,” he said. “I confirmed something I knew: When the issues are critical, as they are in our time, it is important to understand a lot, and the best politicians are the ones who keep up the effort to do a lot.”
As for the connection of politics to the liberal arts:
“The liberal arts seek the truth about the highest things,” he said. “These things are not settled or exhausted by the law. For that reason the best countries are organized specifically to recognize the right of everyone to pursue the dictates of his conscience and his faith under the moral law.”
Pestritto, learned from the experience as well.
“It was fun to do; it was probably less fun for Dr. Arnn than it was for us,” Pestritto said. “I think it’s very hard on the candidate.”
Arnn’s wife, Penny, found the campaign experience valuable.
“I met a lot of people from many different businesses and professions and heard from them what was on their minds, their concerns and hopes,” she said. “I understand much better now how hard a Congressman has to work.”