Blanche Lincoln Will Face Runoff in Arkansas

She and Bill Halter fail to win majority in Senate primary
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 18, 2010 10:29 PM CDT
Blanche Lincoln Will Face Runoff in Arkansas
Den. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., is interviewed after voting in the Democratic primary election in Little Rock, Ark. yesterday   (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln has failed to win the majority of votes in the Democratic primary and now faces a 3-week fight with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter for her party's nomination. Lincoln—already one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election this year— is headed toward a June 8 runoff with Halter, extending what has been one of the most bitter and expensive political fights in Arkansas history.

Lincoln had said she would be ecstatic with either a runoff or a clear-cut victory in today's primary, but Halter has said that forcing her into a prolonged campaign would be close to a win for his bid. Outside groups on both sides, including the AFL-CIO and the US Chamber of Commerce, had pumped millions of dollars into the race. (More Blanche Lincoln stories.)

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