By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Former Arkansas Farm Bureau President Stanley Reed said today he is considering running for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., next year.
“I’ve had strong encouragement from people all over the state that are really concerned about the future of our country and the future of our spending administration that we have,” the Marianna farmer said in an interview with the Arkansas News Bureau. “Even though Blanche has been great on trade issues and ag issues, a lot of people perceive that she’s supported the administration’s spending policies — not unanimously, but she’s a strong, important vote.”
Reed, also a former chairman of the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees, said he expects to make a decision within the next month.
Lincoln is seeking a third term.
In December, Reed said he doubted he could challenge Lincoln because she has been a strong advocate for agricultural interests. He said today the race will be about more than agriculture.
“She’s waffled, just recently, on the health care debate, voting it (the America’s Healthy Future Act) out of committee but yet saying she might vote against it on the floor,” he said. “There’s just been a lot of those issues that she doesn’t seem to come down strong like we feel like the people of Arkansas expect her to on those issues.”
Steve Patterson, Lincoln’s campaign manager, said today that Lincoln has “a strong, fiscally responsible voting record and will stand on that at re-election.”
Patterson noted that Lincoln voted against the auto industry bailout and the second installment of the bank bailout.
“She knows that she has to be accountable to voters in November (of next year), and she’s prepared for that,” he said.
Reed estimated that he would need to raise at least half as much money as Lincoln has raised to be able to compete. Lincoln reported earlier this month that she had received about $5.7 million in contributions and had about $4.1 million in the bank.
“I know that will be an uphill battle,” Reed said.
Asked if he would support Lincoln in the race if he decides not to run, Reed said, “That’ll be a question later on down the road.”
Republicans who have announced they will seek their party’s nomination to challenge Lincoln next year include state Sens. Kim Hendren of Gravette and Gilbert Baker of Conway; retired Army Col. Conrad Reynolds of Conway; Safe Foods CEO Curtis Coleman; businessmen Tom Cox of North Little Rock and Fred Ramey of Searcy; and U.S. Army veteran Buddy Rogers of Rogers.
The news that Reed might enter the race was first reported by Arkansas News Bureau columnist David Sanders. A column Sanders wrote about Reed in December, when Reed was saying he wasn’t likely to run, is available here.
