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Pryor files for re-election Saturday, Mar 8, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Braving a winter snowstorm, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., stopped by the state Capitol on Friday and filed as a candidate for re-election to a second term in the U.S. Senate. "I really want to continue what I've been able to do since I've been in Washington, and just try to work in a bipartisan way," Pryor told reporters. "My approach has always been, it doesn't really matter who is president or who's in control of which house. My responsibility is to try to get along with everybody and just work hard and try to find common-sense solutions for Arkansas and for the country." Pryor said his focus on bipartisanship helped win support for his Consumer Product Safety Reform bill, which passed in the Senate on Thursday in a 79-13 vote. By Friday afternoon Pryor, had drawn no Republican opponent. Health care executive Tom Formicola of Little Rock, who formed an exploratory committee last month to consider challenging Pryor, said earlier this week he was still "putting some numbers together" and did not expect to file before Monday. Pryor said Friday he knew little about his potential Republican opponent. Formicola lost the 2006 Republican primary for the 2nd District congressional seat held by Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock. Pryor said he takes every opponent seriously. "I look forward to getting out and telling people what I've been able to accomplish over the last six years. I'm looking forward to a good race," he said. The Democratic Party of Arkansas already has begun campaigning against Formicola, issuing a statement Monday criticizing him for comments he made during his 2006 race. Pryor was asked Friday why the party chose to campaign against a person who is not yet an official candidate. "You ought to ask them, but I think that they're just looking forward to a race as well, just looking forward to the competition," the senator said. Rebekah Kennedy, a Fort Smith lawyer, has said she will run against Pryor as a Green Party candidate. Don Hamrick, a merchant seaman from Wilburn, is seeking to collect 10,000 signatures to have his name placed on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate. |
