Election Central: New Poll In U.S. Senate Race

From the Election Central campaign trail and KATV’s Elicia Dover, here are today’s political headlines:

NEW POLL
A new poll out wednesday showing Congressman Tom Cotton ahead of incumbent Senator Mark Pryor in the U.S. Senate race. That poll is from Little Rock-based Impact Management Group, which does consulting work for Republican and Independent candidates. It was not commissioned or paid for by any party, candidate, or committee to conduct the poll.

The survey found that of 1,290 registered voters 47% chose Cotton and 43% chose Pryor. The poll found 10% were undecided and the margin of error was 2.7%.

DAVID & BARBARA PRYOR ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Mark Pryor’s parents officially hit the campaign trail for their son this week. Today former Senator David Pryor and his wife, Barbara, campaigned in Hot Springs and in Saline County. The Pryors are scheduled to make more campaign stops later this week.

FAULKNER COUNTY FOLLOW-UP
Following up from our story yesterday, the Pryor campaign has removed the video from their online web page which featured Mayflower Mayor Randy Holland criticizing Tom Cotton for being absent in the days following a devastating tornado earlier this spring. On Tuesday, a Mayflower citizen said the Pryor campaign misled him into shooting that video on his land. The Pryor campaign says that was not their intention and out of respect for his request, they took it down.

GRIFFIN ENDORSED
In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, Congressman Tim Griffin, the Republican candidate for for Lieutenant Governor, received the endorsement of the state firefighters association.

Greg Gray, Legislative Chairman of the Arkansas State Firefighters AssocIation, said, “We, the Arkansas State Firefighters Association, endorse and fully support Representative Tim Griffin for Lieutenant Governor. He has supported numerous Fire Act Grant applications that Arkansas fire departments in his Second Congressional District have submitted.”

Griffin faces Democrat John Burkhalter in the general election.

WESTERMAN ON EPA, WITT ON INFRASTRUCTURE
Fourth District Congressional Candidate Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs) today issued the following statement regarding a recent agreement between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which stops making available excess military vehicles to rural fire departments as firefighting equipment due to the vehicles not meeting emission standards:

“It is ridiculous that President Obama’s EPA is more concerned about what comes out of the tailpipe of a firefighting vehicle than actually protecting the lives and property of not only Arkansans living in and around forested areas, but the local rural firefighters that need this equipment. The greenhouse gas emissions from a rural fire engine are minuscule compared to the gases released in a wildfire. Out-of-touch EPA mandates like this do nothing to protect the environment; they just pile more costs and burdens on us. From my perspective as an engineer, forester, policy maker, citizen, and property owner in Arkansas’s mostly rural Fourth District, Obama’s EPA has got this one horribly wrong.”

Westerman’s opponent, Democratic nominee James Lee Witt rolled out an infrastructure plan for the district should he be elected to Congress.

“From bridges and roadways to drinking water and levees, our infrastructure provides the framework for our daily lives. As Yell County Judge and Director of FEMA, I saw firsthand that infrastructure plays a critical role in a community’s economic growth and stability, along with its ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters. Like my job development plan, my plan for infrastructure requires a collaborative approach. A long-term, large-scale initiative will require important contributions from all stakeholders. By investing in infrastructure, we not only improve quality of life and expand economic opportunities, but also create jobs,” Witt said.

U.S. CHAMBER ENDORSES HILL
GOP Second District Congressional candidate French Hill received the endorsement of the United States Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

“In today’s economy, it is critical that members of Congress provide strong support of free enterprise and leadership for policies that will return the United States to its full growth potential,” said U.S. Chamber President & CEO Thomas Donohue. “We believe your election to the U.S. House of Representatives will help produce sustained economic growth, help create jobs, and get our country back on track.”

Hill faces Democrat Pat Hays in the general election.