Boozman Wins Fight for Ark. Senate Seat Ends

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln lost her seat to a Republican challenger Tuesday after months of criticism that she was too closely aligned with the Obama White House, especially on health care.

Republican John Boozman was to become only the second Republican from Arkansas to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction.

Lincoln, considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election, trailed Boozman in most polls as she sought a third term. She campaigned hard on her status as a moderate, but Boozman relentlessly challenged her independence.

Much of Lincoln's vulnerability can be traced to the health care overhaul. Republicans criticized Lincoln for supporting the health care bill. Liberals targeted her for opposing a government-run insurance option as part of the reform package.

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Lincoln said the criticism from both sides was a badge of honor that showed she's been an independent voice for Arkansas. Boozman said Lincoln was too closely aligned with Obama.
Lincoln also pointed to the clout she acquired through her chairmanship in Washington and highlighted millions of dollars in projects she delivered. She criticized Boozman for signing on to a Republican moratorium on earmarks.

Preliminary exit poll results from Arkansas voters show that independents supported Boozman by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Boozman also won over a majority of older voters in his successful campaign against the two-term senator.

Boozman, an eye doctor from Rogers, entered the race in February.
Then in June, Lincoln narrowly survived a bruising fight against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter for the Democratic nomination. Halter had the backing of liberal activists and labor unions that had been angered by Lincoln.

Lincoln was elected to the Senate in 1998 after defeating Boozman's late brother, Fay Boozman. She was the youngest woman elected to the United States Senate. She served two terms in the early 1990s representing a congressional district in east Arkansas.

ohn Boozman was elected to the House in 2001 in a special election to fill seat of Republican Rep. Asa Hutchinson, who resigned to become head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He finished Hutchinson's term representing the northwest Arkansas district and won re-election four times.

Boozman, 59, won the Republican primary in May, defeating seven rivals despite criticism over his vote in favor of the $700 billion bank bailout. He says the relief package was needed to avoid a financial meltdown. He opposed the health care law and vows to try to repeal it.