Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge launched his Democratic bid to oust Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman on Wednesday, saying Washington is broken and that he'll stand up to politicians from both parties to fix it.
Eldridge, who turned 38 on Wednesday, announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate nearly a month after announcing his resignation as top prosecutor in the Western District of Arkansas. He had served in the post since Dec. 21, 2010; his last day on the job was Aug. 21.
Boozman, 64, joined the Senate after defeating Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln in November 2010. The Rogers optometrist served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District, from 2001 until he was sworn in to the Senate.
Eldridge said Wednesday in an interview that he decided "recently" to run for the U.S. Senate because he has a responsibility to try to make the state better.
People in Washington aren't providing solutions to "the real problems involving our jobs, our safety, our schools and the strength of our communities," he said.
Eldridge, who was appointed to the U.S. attorney job by President Barack Obama, said he would work with anyone interested in "bipartisan, common sense efforts to deal with the challenges we face.
"The work of a prosecutor in fighting crime isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. We need to take the same approach to creating a strong Arkansas economy, cutting government spending, waste and needless regulation, and making sure that everyone in Arkansas has an opportunity to succeed," he said in a news release.
Arkansas Republicans have made gains in state and federal offices during the past three elections. Republicans have worked to link Arkansas Democratic candidates to Obama, who was rejected by the state's voters in both 2008 and 2012.
Asked how he would deal with that linkage, Eldridge said he'd let his experience as a federal prosecutor stand on its own merits. "I am my own person," he said.
Boozman said in a news release that he's "grateful for the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Senate to defend the conservative values of hardworking Arkansans, advocate for policies that lead to better job opportunities in the Natural State and provide the exceptional constituent services the people of Arkansas have come to expect from their representation in Washington.
"I will continue to fight President Obama's misguided agenda that includes amnesty for illegal immigrants, a foreign policy that gives Iran the ability to put our nation and allies in harm's way and mandates that federalize private waters, raise energy costs and stifle economic growth. I am committed to continuing to strongly advocate for Arkansas and I look forward to the campaign next year," Boozman said.
Eldridge said he wouldn't vote to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by Obama in 2010, but would focus on changing the federal law. Several parts of the act, often referred to as Obamacare, are not good for Arkansas, he said.
But he praised the state's program that taps federal Medicaid funds to purchase private health insurance for some low-income Arkansans.
"The private option is a bipartisan solution that represents the best of Arkansas," he said, adding that he wants to work to ensure that "we have the ability to come up with our own solutions."
Boozman has called for repealing the federal health care law.
Eldridge said he would vote against Obama's nuclear deal with Iran because "I think it's a bad deal for our country."
Obama has maintained that the agreement will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that rejecting it would present the U.S. with only worse options, including another war.
Eldridge said Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and that it doesn't make sense to put $100 billion in its pockets by unfreezing Iranian assets.
The nuclear deal's verification measures "don't make any sense" either, and he can't imagine having any type of negotiation with the Iranians without bringing up Americans imprisoned in Iran, he said.
Boozman also opposes Obama's nuclear deal.
Eldridge said the nation's immigration policy should start with "securing the border," but that there is a place for a bipartisan discussion about foreigners who are living illegally in the U.S.
He said he's opposed to abortion but believes it should be allowed in cases of rape and incest or to protect the life and health of the mother. As for his position on same-sex marriage, he said the U.S. Supreme Court "has spoken on that issue and it's time to move on."
In a news release, state Democratic Party Chairman Vince Insalaco of North Little Rock said, "We welcome Conner Eldridge to the race for the U.S. Senate.
"Conner's bold leadership as U.S. attorney is proof of his experience and ability to serve the people of Arkansas in the U.S. Senate," Insalaco said.
A spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee said that "Conner Eldridge might want to remove the line about working for President Obama on his resume, because his ties to the unpopular President make him unelectable in Arkansas.
"Unlike Conner Eldridge, John Boozman has spent his life caring for Arkansas families and fighting Obama's reckless policies that have put our country at risk," said committee spokesman Andrea Bozek.
Metro on 09/10/2015