Wednesday, Jun. 29, 2022

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
    • View sponsors
    • Become a sponsor
    • Sponsor messages
  • Contact
Arkansas COVID-19 case info

Fayetteville Flyer

  • Home
  • Local News
    • All Local Coverage
    • Restaurant News
    • Trail News
    • City Council Recaps
    • Public Meetings
  • More News
    • State News
    • Nation & World
  • Arts & Events
  • Columns & Features
    • Music Reviews
    • Theatre Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trail Tours
    • Giveaways
    • Recipes
  • Sports
  • Sections
    • Local News
    • State & Nation
    • Restaurant News
    • Arts & Events
    • Columns & Features
    • Sports
  • Calendar
  • Movie Listings
    • AMC Fiesta Square
    • Malco Razorback Cinema
    • 112 Drive-In
  • Real Estate
    • Fayetteville Homes
    • All NWA Homes
    • Find an Agent
  • Sponsors
  • Newsletter
  • Photos
  • Shop

GOP Sen. John Boozman fending off rivals in Arkansas primary

  • By Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press · Tuesday, May 24, 2022 

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. / Photo: Bill Ingalls, CC 2.0

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican Sen. John Boozman hopes to fend off three challengers in Arkansas’ primary Tuesday who are trying to paint him as not conservative enough, despite his support from former President Donald Trump, groups such as the National Rifle Association and the state’s top GOP figures.

Boozman’s reelection bid hasn’t garnered the attention nationally of other top campaigns like Senate races in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, but it could be another test of Trump’s influence in an extremely red state.

A soft-spoken eye doctor who has served two terms in the Senate, Boozman adopted a more combative tone in his campaign ads that tout the support of Trump and other GOP figures. Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, and fellow Sen. Tom Cotton have recorded ads playing heavily in the state backing Boozman.

Trending:
Where to watch fireworks in NWA in 2022

“I know John Boozman as a champion of President Trump’s America-First agenda,” Sanders says in one ad.

But the lawmaker has faced an onslaught of attacks from a super PAC funded by a shipping executive backing former NFL player Jake Bequette’s effort to unseat Boozman. Conservative activist Jan Morgan and pastor Heath Loftis are also seeking the Republican nomination.

One of the ads by the pro-Bequette group refers to Boozman as “Biden’s favorite Republican.”

Boozman’s rivals have labeled him a RINO — Republican In Name Only — even though the incumbent voted more than 91% of the time with Trump, according to the website FiveThirtyEight. Boozman has voted with Biden 34% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tally, and his challengers say that is too often.

Boozman’s rivals have criticized him over his decision to not challenge Biden’s win in the presidential election, despite Trump’s lies about a stolen election. They’ve also criticized Boozman saying last year that Trump bore “some responsibility” the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, though Boozman voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial over the riot.

Boozman said he remains committed to Trump and that he doesn’t hold him directly responsible for Jan. 6. He also said he would support the former president if he runs again in 2024.

At least three super PACs supporting Boozman also have been running ads, including one that attacks Bequette as “Fake Jake.”

If no one fails to win an outright majority, the top two will move on to a primary runoff on June 21. A runoff is also possible on the Democratic side, with Jack Foster, Natalie James and Dan Whitfield seeking the party’s nomination Tuesday to challenge Boozman.

Boozman has focused on farming and veterans issues during his time in the Senate, topics that do not lend themselves to viral videos or incendiary speeches but are crucial in this predominantly rural state. He was first elected in the Senate in 2010 after winning an eight-candidate primary without a runoff and easily won reelection in 2016.

Boozman is in line to chair the Senate Agriculture Committee if Republicans win control of the Senate. He’s running with the support of influential conservative groups including National Right to Life and the National Rifle Association.


Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics


Flyer Newsletter

The latest headlines from the Fayetteville Flyer, delivered straight to your inbox.

    MORE FROM THE FLYER

  • FTC sues Walmart for scammers’ use of money transfer unit
  • Arkansas prohibits abortion hours after Supreme Court ruling
  • Lawsuit filed over deputy’s fatal shooting of Arkansas teen
  • Judge rejects new evidence testing in West Memphis 3 case

 

  • @fayflyer
  •     » Become a sponsor
  • Advertisements

  • Get Email News Updates

    Never miss a story! Sign up here.
  • Advertisements


     

  • Local Info

    Fire/Police Dispatch Logs
    Detention Intake Report
    Public Meetings Schedule
  • Sponsors

  • Flyer Sponsors

    sponsor-logos
    » See all sponsors
  • Sponsor Tweets

    A Twitter List by fayflyer
  • Advertise

    Local businesses are so important to our community.

    Our goal is to work with small- to medium-sized businesses rooted in the community. To acheive this, we’ve developed affordable and effective advertising options for any budget. Several of our long-term packages cost less than $14 per day, including our popular sponsorship program.

    To get started or for more information, call Dustin at 479-387-1002 or send us an email.

     

    Proud member:

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact
  • Legal, Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Instagram Flickr Pinterest RSS

© 2007-2022 Wonderstate Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2022, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. See AP policy.