Sen. Blanche Lincoln and the state’s lieutenant governor, Bill Halter, both Democrats, will advance to a runoff as they vie for the U.S. Senate.
With about half of Arkansas' 75 counties reporting preliminary results, Lincoln held a slight 43 percent to 42.5 percent lead over Halter, according to the Secretary of State's website. DC Morrison received more than 14 percent of those votes.
Both Lincoln and Halter characterized the tight race as a positive sign in enthusiastic speeches to supporters at downtown Little Rock hotels.
Halter, who held a watch party at the Peabody, addressed supporters shortly after 10:15 p.m., telling them results showed neither candidate would reach 50 percent of the vote and a runoff will be held. In remarks earlier Tuesday, Halter said a runoff would be a victory for him because he is not the incumbent.
"At three weeks from today, we're going to finish the job," Halter said to loud applause.
He called this a "very, very good night" with results looking "absolutely great."
"Today you proved that your vote and not their money are going to determine the future of Arkansas and the future of America," Halter said.
Flanked by her husband, her two sons and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Lincoln entered a ballroom full of supporters at the Holiday Inn Presidential Center shortly after 10:30 p.m. Lincoln told her supporters she surged to win more votes than Halter after being "written off" a month ago.
"But tonight we have proved by winning the popular vote we cannot be written off and we wont' be," she said. "Tonight we begin out countdown to victory, folks."
Lincoln referenced the contentious ad battle that characterized her race against Halter during her speech, announcing that she wants both candidates to cease negative election tactics over the next three weeks.
"I want to call on Bill Halter to end all of his negative ads," she said. "And I will too."
The runoff election will occur June 8.
The GOP frontrunner is John Boozman, who received 24,259 votes or 50%.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
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