1998 United States Senate election in Arkansas
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The 1998 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers chose to retire instead of running for reelection to a fifth term. Democratic former U.S. Representative Blanche Lincoln won the open seat against Republican State Senator Fay Boozman. At 38, Lincoln was the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Senate and the first woman to be elected in the Senate statewide since Hattie Carraway in 1938. In 2010, Lincoln would lose re-election to a third term by Fay Boozman's brother, John Boozman.
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November 3, 1998
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 County results Lincoln: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Boozman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Winston Bryant, attorney general of Arkansas, former lieutenant governor and secretary of state[1]
- Nate Coulter, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 1993[1]
- Blanche Lincoln, former U.S. representative[1]
- Scott Ferguson, state representative[1]
Withdrew
- Pat Hays, mayor of North Little Rock[2]
Results
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 30–40%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Blanche Lincoln | 145,009 | 45.5% | |
| Democratic | Winston Bryant | 87,183 | 27.4% | |
| Democratic | Scott Ferguson | 44,761 | 14.0% | |
| Democratic | Nate Coulter | 41,848 | 13.1% | |
| Total votes | 318,801 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Fay Boozman, state senator
- Tom Prince, mayor of Little Rock[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Fay Boozman | 128,929 | 78.0% | |
| Republican | Tom Prince | 44,006 | 22.0% | |
| Total votes | 172,035 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Background
During the campaign, Boozman caused controversy for his comments about rape, claiming that women rarely became pregnant after being raped due to a hormone he described as "God's little protective shield".[5]
Candidates
- Blanche Lincoln (D), former U.S. representative
- Fay Boozman (R), state senator
- Charley Heffley (Reform)
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Blanche Lincoln (D) |
Fay Boozman (R) |
Charley Heffley (Rf) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Dixon[6] | October 23–25, 1998 | 810 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 56% | 36% | – | 8% |
| Mason Dixon[6] | October 5–7, 1998 | 838 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 52% | 39% | – | 9% |
| Mason Dixon[6] | September 8–9, 1998 | 811 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 52% | 36% | 1% | 11% |
| Mason Dixon[6] | June 1–3, 1998 | 805 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 51% | 33% | 1% | 15% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Blanche Lincoln | 385,878 | 55.07% | ||
| Republican | Fay Boozman | 295,870 | 42.23% | ||
| Reform | Charley E. Heffley | 18,896 | 2.70% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear