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Broadway to run for lieutenant governor |
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Monday, 01 March 2010 |
In light of the news today that Lt. Gov. Bill Halter will challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the May primary, term-limited state Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, told the Courier this morning he has now decided to run for lieutenant governor.
Previously, Broadway had said he would consider such a move if Halter decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat; Broadway also had said he had considered entering the race for Vic Snyder’s 2nd District U.S. Congressional seat.
Broadway said this morning he will formally announce his campaign for Lt. Gov. at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Arkansas State Capitol second floor, at the bottom of the Senate stairwell.
“Public service is a high honor,” he said. “While in the Legislature, I have had the privilege of serving the people of my district, and many others throughout the state. I’m excited about the opportunity to work for all Arkansans as lieutenant governor. Together we can keep moving Arkansas forward.”
Broadway said he has worked closely with Gov. Mike Beebe and his colleagues to create opportunities for economic development, to improve the state’s educational system and to provide tax cuts to Arkansans. If he is elected lieutenant governor, Broadway said he would continue focusing on jobs, education and tax relief.
Broadway is a lifelong resident of Arkansas and was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996. He ran unopposed in 1998 and 2000. In 2002, he was elected to the state Senate and was re-elected in 2006.
Broadway also has the distinction of being the youngest Speaker of the House in Arkansas history when his colleagues in the House of Representatives elected him to that post during the 83rd regular session of the Legislature. He now serves as Director of Client Development for InSight Communications of Bryant and is also employed by the Saline County Development Corp. A graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, he earned a political science degree and was awarded the R.E. Lee Wilson Award, ASU’s highest honor for a graduating senior.
Broadway is married to the former Debbie Tableriou, a North Little Rock native. They live in Bryant where they attend First Baptist Church.
Earlier today, current Lt. Gov. Halter announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. Halter’s spokesman provided a statement in which the one-term lieutenant governor said he would file papers for the U.S. Senate. Halter is the only Democrat to formally announce a challenge to Lincoln as she seeks a third term.
“Washington is broken. It’s working for the special interests, not Arkansas families,” Halter said in the statement.
Lincoln’s campaign did not immediately comment.
Eight Republicans and an independent from Benton (see related article, Page 1) already have announced interest in Lincoln’s seat as her popularity wanes. Groups on the left have criticized her stances on labor, health care and air pollution regulations.
Halter is a former Clinton administration official, having served as a deputy commissioner and acting commissioner of the federal Social Security Administration. He was elected lieutenant governor in 2006 after briefly considering a run for governor against Mike Beebe, who won the post. He said then he didn’t want to attack Beebe, as his advisers suggested.
“That is unacceptable to me. With an attack-style campaign, people will hear more of the negative and less of the ideas,” Halter said then.
Arkansas’ filing period opens Monday; Halter is expected to file Tuesday.
He provided few details in the e-mail statement Monday.
“I cannot stand by while jobs are shipped overseas, seniors are pushed to the brink and big banks and insurance companies get bailed out while Arkansans are left to pay for a mess we didn’t create,” Halter said.
Halter last year helped arrange a one-day free medical clinic in Little Rock organized by the National Association of Free Clinics. The medical clinic had been promoted by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann as a not-so-subtle jab at Democrats to support their party’s health care reform efforts.
Lincoln has voted for the Senate version of a health care reform bill but has said she is opposed to a government-run health insurance option as part of the overhaul.
Lincoln has opposed key union-organizing legislation and opposed President Barack Obama’s nominee for the National Labor Relations Board. Both positions have gained the ire of the Arkansas AFL-CIO, which backed her re-election bid six years ago.
As lieutenant governor, Halter championed a state lottery to fund college scholarships, and voters approved the games in 2008. Students will begin receiving lottery-generated funds this fall.
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