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Despite Formicola’s decision, Milligan said he was pleased with the Republican candidates running for the Legislature.

“I think we have one of the best recruiting classes that has been on record for some time,” he said, adding he expects the GOP to pick up three to five legislative seats.

Republicans now hold 25 House seats and eight Senate seats.

He specifically pointed to House races in Saline and Sebastian counties.

Three Republicans and two Democrats have filed for the District 29 seat held by term-limited Rep. Janet Johnson, D-Bryant. In the District 62 House race, Rep. Shirley Walters, R-Greenwood, is term-limited and her husband, former Republican state Sen. Bill Walters, has filed as a Democrat to replace her. Republican Terry Rice of Waldron also filed to run for the seat.

Milligan said he regretted the GOP did not recruit a candidate to run in the House District 39 seat, which Dwayne Dobbins filed for Monday.

In 2005, then-Rep. Dwayne Dobbins was charged with felony sexual assault after a woman reported that Dobbins improperly touched her at her home in September 2004, when she was 17.

Dwayne Dobbins later pleaded guilty in Pulaski County Circuit Court to misdemeanor harassment and resigned from the Legislature as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to a year’s probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to undergo counseling.

Sharon Dobbins was later elected to the seat in a special election.

Gwatney, who spoke with Prosecutor Larry Jegley on Monday, said nothing in the plea agreement prevented Dwayne Dobbins from seeking public office.

“As chairman of the party, I’m not prepared to assist Dwayne Dobbins to run for that,” Gwatney said. “We’ll take his filing fee and he can run. There’s no rule in the party that can prohibit him, but there’s also nothing to prohibit me from seeking somebody to run as an independent.”

Jegley described Dobbins’ filing as “shameful,” and added, “it’s a good example of why people are cynical and distrustful of politics and politicians.”