Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) — already trailing against possible Republican challengers — will now have to face one of her own. Lt. Gov. Bill Halter has decided to enter the Democrat primary race against Lincoln:
Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter unexpectedly announced Monday that he would challenge Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary this year.
“Washington is no longer on the side of Arkansas families,” Halter said on his Web site. “Bailing out Wall Street with no strings attached, while leaving middle-class Arkansas taxpayers with the bill; protecting insurance company profits instead of protecting patients and lowering health costs; gridlock, bickering and partisan games while unemployment is at a 25-year high. Enough’s enough.”
From Halter’s announcement it appears he has a message that’s more in tune with the voters of Arkansas and is ready to beat up Sen. Lincoln on her very liberal stance alongside this administration. Plus he’s experienced in Washington politics, having worked there before under the Clinton administration.
I’d say Sen. Lincoln will have a very uphill battle in her re-election bid. The fact that even the lieutenant governor is willing to come out to challenge the senior senator only means her incumbency is highly vulnerable.
