I’m not so sure Boozman is a sure thing.
Halter got elected Lt. Governor. That is state-wide.
Boozman has represented District #3; thus may not be known in the remainder of the state.
Typically, NW AR is Republican while the remainder of the state is Democrat.
I say again, Boozman will have tough competition if Halter prevails in the Dem run-off. Halter will get support from Gov. Beebe (Dem) and US Senator Pryor (Dem). Boozman doesn’t have any in-state high-position Republican to support him.
Halter got elected to an open seat in 2006 at a time when the AR GOP was crippled after a decade of Huckster’s mismanagement as Governor. Remember, too, that in 1996, Tim Hutchinson, the 3rd district GOP Congressman, beat a statewide Democrat officeholder. Arkansas is decidedly overrepresented with Democrats, and it’s likely we’re going to finally start to return to the margins more in line with the state’s national voting preferences.