Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas is making it clear to friends and supporters that he’s definitely running for a third term in 2014.
A spokesman for the Democratic senator said Thursday that Pryor recently told friends in a letter that he plans to run for re-election. Pryor had initially said he would make a decision after the 2012 election, but his spokesman said he wanted to tamp down rumors that he wouldn’t run.
Pryor defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Tim Hutchinson in 2002. He won re-election in 2008 after no Republicans filed to run against him. Pryor handily defeated a Green Party challenger that year. Pryor had faced speculation that he was considering retiring or running for governor.
Pryor’s decision was first reported on the Arkansas Times website.