My staff, my family and I thank you for all you have done to support this remarkable campaign. In just 98 days, we succeeded in bringing the challenges of middle-class working families into the state and national spotlight. Although we fell just short at the ballot box, we can hold our heads high in knowing we fought a tough battle for the right principles and the right policies against tremendous odds.

I want to repeat what I told our staff, volunteers and supporters Tuesday night in Little Rock, because the same holds true for each one of you: "You have done an incredible job, an amazing job. You have fought an honorable, tough, highly motivated campaign in the state of Arkansas. ... I am humbled by what you have done. ... You should take that passion for advancing working men and women into the next race, and the next race and everything that you do."

My family and I are humbled and very grateful for your support. We look forward to working with you again to advance Arkansas and to advance America.


Sincerely,

You're invited to join us for the election watch party in Little Rock Tuesday night or online.

If you can't make it to the party in person, we'd like you to join us online instead. We're setting up a virtual watch party -- where you can keep up with the latest news and chat with other Halter supporters after the polls close, and watch Bill's speech live online.

Click here to RSVP for the Little Rock watch party or the online party, then tell all your friends to join us too.

Over the last few months and during this runoff, Bill has traveled all over Arkansas. We've seen the incredible grassroots support that has brought this campaign to the brink of victory. Now watch the results come in together one more time!

Here are the details:

When: June 8th - 7:30 pm to midnight, CST

Where: The Peabody- The Arkansas Room (or online!)
Three Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 - Map

Our future - where Arkansans can get good jobs, where our children can receive a world class education, where Wall Street no longer wins at the expense of Arkansans - will be built together. That's why I'm running for U.S. Senate.

Today is the runoff election day, and if we're going to build this future together, I need your vote. The latest polls show a close race, so every vote is going to matter.

Will you pledge to vote for me today?

• I'll vote before work/school
• I'll vote at lunchtime
• I'll vote after work/school
• I'll vote at another time during the day
• I already voted
• I don't plan to vote today, or I'm not eligible to vote

Today's the day we show the country what we believe.

The polls are open until 7:30 pm CST. Please, make your voice count today. And ask your friends and family to vote today as well.

I need your vote today. Click here to find your polling place so you can make your voice count.

Thank you for all that you've done. Together we will win.

Today is the last day of early voting, and Election Day is tomorrow. We just have a couple days left to win this election!

Now we need your help. Can you knock doors in your area to contact voters about the runoff election and ask them to vote?

Yes! I can knock doors (in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Conway, Pine Bluff, or Hot Springs)

No -- but I can phone voters from home

No -- but I'll chip in $5 to Halter's campaign

For Immediate Release:
June 7, 2010

BLANCHE LINCOLN: SPECIAL INTERESTS' FAVORITE SENATOR Lincoln Took $1.2 Million from Big Banks, Top Recipient of Oil & Gas Money, Benefited from $3 Million in Ads from Shadowy Republican and Corporate Front Groups

North Little Rock – Sen. Blanche Lincoln took $1.2 million from Wall Street, more than $49,000 from credit card companies, benefited from more than $3 million in ads from shadowy Republican front groups, and is the top recipient of oil and gas money – including $19,000 from Gulf Coast polluter British Petroleum and $558,375 from oil & gas PACs. She continued to accept more than $40,000 from Wall Street interests as well as contributions from British Petroleum lobbyists during the runoff.

"You can't change Washington if you don't change the people you send there, and the only real choice for change in this election is Bill Halter," said Halter for Senate campaign manager Carol Butler.

A shadowy Republican front group, Americans for Job Security, spent more than $1.5 million on advertising during the primary. According to leading Arkansas political commentator John Brummett, "Why would a Republican group back her now with John Boozman waiting for November? Is it that she’s approximately as good a Republican investment as Boozman? Or is that Republicans fear the outsider message of Halter?"

Two more groups, Coalition for Arkansans Jobs and Arkansans for Common Sense - neither one of who will reveal who is funding them - are now spending more than $739,000 on ads on Sen. Lincoln's behalf during the runoff. Arkansans for Common Sense spent $350,000 on TV ads alone, in addition to massive statewide radio buys and mailers, attacking Bill Halter during the primary. The US Chamber of Commerce spent another $600,000 during the primary.

For Immediate Release
Friday, June 4, 2010

RESEARCH 2000 POLL: HALTER 49%-LINCOLN 45%

Halter winning majority of Morrison voters by 10 points

North Little Rock – In another show of momentum heading into the last weekend of the campaign, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter expanded his lead over Sen. Blanche Lincoln in a new Research 2000 Arkansas poll out today that shows Lt. Gov. Halter with a 49%-45% lead. The previous Research 2000 poll released last week showed Lt. Gov. Halter with a 47%-44% lead.

“This poll shows that Arkansans want change,” said campaign manager Carol Butler. “Today, Monday and Tuesday they have a chance to vote for change. This race is very close, and I urge all of our supporters to take their friends and family to go vote. They have three days left to vote, two candidates but only one choice for change.”

This poll, sponsored by Daily Kos, is the third-straight public poll showing Lt. Gov. Halter ahead in the runoff but is the first to ask where D.C. Morrison’s voters will go:

* D.C. Morrison supporters who are planning to vote in the runoff are backing Lt. Gov. Halter by 10 points.

* Voters who skipped the Democratic Primary who are planning to vote in the runoff are also backing Lt. Gov. Halter, 41%-23%.

* Lt. Gov. Halter has a +37 favorable/unfavorable rating in the Democratic Party Runoff, with 61% of runoff voters holding a favorable view of him, and only 24% holding an unfavorable view.

* By comparison, those same Democratic Party Primary voters give Sen. Lincoln only a +19% rating, getting a favorable rating from 56% and a negative rating from 37%.

Unlike the previous Research 2000 poll, potential General Election matchups were not tested. The previous poll showed that Sen. Lincoln would almost certainly lose to Rep. Boozman, as 58% of the state’s voters viewed her unfavorably, and Rep. Boozman enjoyed a 58%-38% lead over her. A quarter of Democratic voters said they would support Rep. Boozman in a general election.

Lt. Gov. Halter performed better against Republican nominee Rep. John Boozman, leading among women and in the Little Rock region as well as in Southern Arkansas. Lt. Gov. Halter was behind in a head-to-head matchup against Rep. Boozman, 53%-42%.

The Research 2000 Arkansas Run-Off Poll was conducted from June 2 through June 4, 2010. A total of 600 Democratic Primary voters who are likely to vote in next Tuesday’s Run-Off election were interviewed statewide by telephone. The margin of error is 4%.

The full poll is available here.

For Immediate Release
Friday, June 4, 2010

COUNTDOWN TO CHANGE TOUR CONTINUES

Halter: “Arkansans have only one choice for change”

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – As early voting continued Friday, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter continued his “Countdown to Change” tour by visiting voters at a cafe in Perryville and rallying campaign supporters in Hot Springs. Early voting continues today and Monday before Election Day on Jun. 8.

“Arkansans have three more days to vote but only one choice for change,” said Lt. Gov. Halter. “When I’m Senator, I will always defend middle class Arkansans.”

Friday’s travels in the RV begin with an early-morning radio appearance on the Broadway Joe show before heading to Ezell’s Cafe in Perryville to meet with voters.

From there Lt. Gov. Halter heads to Hot Springs, where he will meet with campaign staff and volunteers who are busy getting out the vote for early voting on Friday and on Monday, as well as for Election Day on June 8. He will end the day in Little Rock.

“The Countdown to Change tour has brought meals to housebound senior citizens in Fort Smith, canned goods to a food bank in Texarkana, and a message of change to Arkansans everywhere,” said Lt. Gov. Halter’s campaign manager Carol Butler.

For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 3, 2010

COUNTDOWN TO CHANGE TOUR DELIVERS MEALS ON WHEELS

Halter delivers Meals on Wheels in RV in Ft. Smith, Emphasizes Record of Protecting Social Security

Fort Smith – Highlighting his record of defending Social Security, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter continued his “Countdown to Change” tour by visiting Conway, Ozark, Fayetteville, and Fort Smith, where he delivered Meals On Wheels in the campaign’s RV.

“When I’m your Senator, I will protect Social Security and make sure middle class families come first,” said Lt. Gov. Halter.

President Bill Clinton appointed Lt. Gov. Bill Halter Deputy Commissioner of Social Security in 1999. As the agency’s Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for the delivery of more than $500 billion in benefits to 48 million-plus Americans, including nearly 540,000 Arkansans. He later served as Acting Commissioner of Social Security, managing 65,000 employees in 1,500 offices.

“Sen. Lincoln is out of touch if she thinks she can propose cutting Social Security while she wants to give tax cuts to millionaires,” said Carol Butler, Lt. Gov. Halter’s campaign manager.

In the May 14 Political Animals debate, Sen. Blanche Lincoln was asked how she would balance the budget and said that cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid would be necessary. “But you can’t do it all by spending cuts, and you’re exactly right. You have to look at mandatory spending programs like Medicare, and Social Security, and Medicaid. Those are the largest parts of the, um, the spending measures that we have,” said Sen. Lincoln. (May 14 debate at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock)

This was not the first time she suggested cutting Social Security to reign in federal spending. In fact, she voted to cut Social Security spending in 1994.

In 1994, then-Rep. Lincoln was one of just 37 House members to vote for the Stenholm Amendment to set caps on all entitlement spending, including Social Security that would result $150 billion in cuts. The amendment would also require automatic cuts including Social Security if Congress failed to prevent spending from exceeding certain levels. (H.AMDT.772 to H.R.4604; Roll Call 344, 7/21/94)

Sen. Lincoln has also opposed cutting the tax on Social Security benefits. On Jul. 13, 2000, Sen. Lincoln voted against repealing the tax increase on Social Security benefits. (Senate Vote No. 188, 2000, Gazette, 7/3/98; New York Times, 7/17/00)

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 2, 2010

COUNTDOWN TO CHANGE TOUR: LT. GOV. HALTER DECRIES CREDIT CARD VOTE

Lt. Gov. Halter Highlights Sen. Lincoln’s Support From Wall Street And Her Votes Against Lowering Credit Card Interest Rates

NORTH LITTLE ROCK –Lt. Gov. Bill Halter continued his “Countdown to Change” tour today by highlighting Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s pro-Wall Street record on deregulation and high credit card rates. Lt. Gov. Halter promised to defend the middle class and challenged her to explain her repeated votes against lowering credit card interest rates.

“Sen. Lincoln is out of touch with middle class families here in Arkansas,” said Lt. Gov. Halter. “Just last month Sen. Lincoln voted to allow out-of-state credit card companies to charge Arkansans more than 17% interest. These rates are outrageous. In the Senate, I’ll be on the side of the middle class, not credit card companies and big banks. Her helping out Wall Street banks by voting for high credit card rates is just the latest example of how out of touch she is with Arkansans.”

On May 19, 2010, Sen. Lincoln voted to kill an amendment to the Wall Street reform bill that would have made banks and other card issuers abide by state interest rate caps. (Associated Press, May 19, 2010)

On May 13, 2009—during the depth of this recession—Sen. Lincoln voted to kill an amendment that would have placed a 15% ceiling on the interest rate that credit card companies can charge. (Senate Vote No. 191, 5/13/09)

In 2005, Sen. Lincoln voted to kill an amendment to the Bankruptcy Overhaul bill to place a 30% ceiling on credit card interest rates. (Senate Vote No. 20, 3/3/05) The industry's pretax profit climbed to about $39 billion in 2008 from $30.6 billion in 2005, according to CardTrak, a credit card research firm. (USA Today, Mar. 27, 2009)

Sen. Lincoln has taken more than $381,000 from commercial banks and $45,000 from credit card companies. (Opensecrets.org)

The “Countdown to Change” Tour began yesterday in North Little Rock and continued to Heber Springs, Mountain View, Clinton, and Morrilton before ending the day back in Little Rock.