Boozman to enter U.S. Senate race (Updated)

story by Michael Tilley

U.S. Rep. John Boozman is entering the race for U.S. Senate, a move that will further crowd an already crowded GOP race and cause a scramble to fill the 3rd District Congressional seat he now holds.

If he survives a GOP primary that now has nine candidates, he would face U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the general election in November. Boozman, a Republican from Rogers, is in his fifth term as the 3rd District Congressman.

Boozman issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he would make a formal announcement Feb. 6 in Little Rock.

“Over the course of the last few weeks, I have been encouraged by many Arkansans who are very concerned about the critical issues facing our state and our nation to consider where I can best serve the people of our state,” Boozman noted in the statement. “The response has been overwhelming. I will be in Little Rock next Saturday to make an important announcement, and I look forward to continuing these conversations with Arkansans during the weeks and months to come.”

Boozman previously told The City Wire he would make a decision no later than Jan. 29.

Updated info: During a Friday interview with The City Wire, Boozman would not confirm or deny the numerous reports of his entry into the race. Boozman stuck to his statement that he would "make an important announcement" in Little Rock. He did say his reconsideration of the race came from the urging of state and local people, not from any pressure from national Republican leaders.

Roby Brock, who covers Arkansas business and politics at TalkBusiness.net, said Boozman has told other GOP contenders he is running.

“I have talked to three of the GOP Senate candidates who have had conversations with Boozman, and he’s told them he’s in,” Brock said.

Boozman had declined to seek the Senate seat, and had already announced his reelection bid. But National and Arkansas Republican leaders became concerned about the electability of the nine GOP candidates in the race. And then the election of Republicans to prominent posts in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts caused Republican leaders to more aggressively pursue ousting Democrats in vulnerable seats.

And Lincoln is vulnerable. A recent Talk Business Quarterly poll shows that Lincoln has a 57% unfavorable rating among likely Arkansas voters, and 56% of likely voters disapprove of her job performance.

Boozman said he did not initiate the reconsideration but began to receive numerous calls from people in the district, around the state and in national political circles who asked him to consider the run. Boozman had already announced he was seeking reelection to the 3rd District House seat.

Boozman’s entry into the race means Arkansas will send three new names to Congress. U.S. Reps. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, and Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock have said they will not seek reelection to the 1st and 2nd Congressional districts, respectively. U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, announced Friday he will seek reelection to the 4th District.

It’s possible one of the names will not be new. Former 3rd District Rep. Asa Hutchinson has said he may enter the race if Boozman seeks the Senate seat.

Hutchinson declined to confirm or deny his interest in another shot at the House seat.

“I have not been making any calls in regard to a future political race but I have been receiving quite a few,” Hutchinson said in an e-mail reply to The City Wire. “It is important to let Congressman Boozman make his announcement and then I will make a decision. I am very happy with my business interest and law practice but I have always kept open the possibilities of public service.”

Boozman’s toughest opponent could be State Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, who announced Friday he raised $300,000 in campaign donations during the fourth quarter. Baker reported that his campaign donations now total about $640,000. Boozman will likely report no more than $300,000 in campaign funds, and those funds are transferable from a House to a Senate race.

That’s chump change in the world of federal politics.

Boozman, Baker and any other candidate will need to raise some serious cash if they want to unseat Lincoln in her alleged season of political vulnerability. Lincoln recently announced she raised $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, which bumps her campaign war chest up over the $5 million mark.