When this challenge began, Washington insiders like Lincoln-ally Rep. Marion Berry laughed at the idea of accountability through a primary challenge to her, gloating "I don't know anybody that cares what Bill Halter is going to do except Bill Halter. He is only of consequence in his own mind." That's how Washington viewed the prospect of working people in Arkansas holding their elected officials accountable.
Yesterday, the people of Arkansas took a step towards changing that.
By forcing a runoff election against Senator Blanche Lincoln, Lt. Governor Bill Halter gave voice to the tens of thousands of Arkansas voters who are fed up with Senator Lincoln and special interests in Washington. His steady increase in the polls through Election Day, as well as the momentum last night after forcing a runoff, positions him well for victory in three weeks.
Workers United and SEIU will continue to support Halter through the runoff election on June 8 and members look forward to helping him become the next U.S. Senator from Arkansas.
We have already run:
- A radio ad highlighting the voices of Arkansans who support both President Obama and Bill Halter. Listen to the ad here.
- Multiple television and online ads detailing Blanche Lincoln's record:
- "What About Jobs for Arkansans?" highlighted Lincoln's support of trade deals that hurt Arkansas' economy. Watch the ad here.
- "Hollywood" rebutted a racist third-party attack and discussed Bill Halter's fight against Wall Street bailouts. Watch the ad here.
- "Nancy" discussed Lincoln's decision to side with big insurance companies and their billion dollar profits. Watch the ad here.
- Vote for Change" reminded voters that if we want to change Washington, we have to change the people we send there. Watch the ad here.
With a majority of voters already voting against Blanche Lincoln, we're going to keep the pressure on. We've got three more weeks until the runoff on June 8th. And elected officials should take a lesson from this challenge that we're serious about accountability.
