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RNC Chairman says Arkansas is key state in the fight for the U.S. Senate

Michael Hibblen

(Photo and story courtesy of Michael Hibblen, KUAR Public Radio.)

The Chairman of the Republican National Committee is in Arkansas, promising the state will be ground zero in the battle to seize control of the U.S. Senate this fall.

Speaking to volunteers at Tom Cotton’s campaign office Tuesday, Reince Priebus said incumbent Senator Mark Pryor lied when he said people would benefit from the president’s healthcare plan.

"In the last two years, Obamacare has caused Americans to lose their jobs, lose their doctors and lose their plans.  And now in November, we get to return the favor to Mark Pryor and the Democrats and they're going to lose their majority in the United States Senate.  That's why we need to elect Tom Cotton and fire Harry Reid."

After the event, Cotton said he will win in November by continuing to reach out to voters.

"We're traveling all across the state of Arkansas, we've got a big RV on the 'Arkansas First' tour, and we call it that because Arkansas needs a senator who finally will put Arkansas first," Cotton said.  "Mark Pryor's been saying that for a long time, but when he gets to Washington, he always puts the Obama agenda first, 93 percent of the time. That does not reflect Arkansas's conservative views and values." 

Priebus's visit is among a string of appearances by national Republican figures. Wednesday, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Jonesboro, appearing with Gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson.  

U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will also visit the state Wednesday, touring Welspun Tubular Pipes in Little Rock with 2nd District Congressional candidate French Hill.  The facility would be the producer of pipes used for the embattled Keystone XL Pipeline, if it's approved.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is also to visit Arkansas next week.

See more here.

Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.