Arkansas U.S. Senate Race

Race of the Day

Arkansas U.S. Senate

July 29, 2008
98 Days Until Election Day

Status: Democrat Incumbent
2004 Presidential Result: Red State (South)

Outlook: Safe Democrat

Despite the fact that Republican John McCain is likely to take the Electoral Votes of Arkansas in a solid manner, the GOP is not even fielding a candidate against two term incumbent Democrat Senator Mark Pryor. In fact, Republicans are not challenging the state's three Democrat House members either, and the Democrats are not challening the state's one Republican Congressman. All of this means that politics in the state where the Clintons got their start will be pretty boring in 2008.

Pryor, a popular centrist Democrat, whose father was once Governor and a U.S. Senator from the state is being opposed by a Green Party candidate and an Independent, but he could basically sleepwalk his way to another term. He would have been favored against any opponent this year (save perhaps former Governor Mike Huckabee), but many Republicans are surely frustrated that they have decided to not even put up a fight.

One matter of concern for Pryor should perhaps be that yesterday, when Alaska was my race of the day, I predicted that Senator Ted Stevens would be reelected, and just a few short hours later, he winds up getting indicted, throwing that race into all sorts of uncertainty. If this blog has the power to be the kiss of death for incumbent Senators, Mr. Pryor may not rest easily this evening.

Since there is no GOP candidate to tout, I present, courtesy of that series of tubes called the internet that Ted Stevens is so mystified by... the Arkansas Republican Party!

http://www.arkansasgop.org/

2008 U.S. Senate races predicted: 1 D, 2 R
Predicted Senate balance of power thus far: 40 D, 28 R