LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 21 (UPI) -- Sen. Tim Hutchinson appeared headed for a decisive victory Tuesday night in his bid for the Republican Senate nomination in the Arkansas primary.
With 44 percent of the voted counted, Hutchinson had 80 percent and state Rep. Jim Bob Duggar trailed with 20 percent, according to unofficial returns reported by the Arkansas Secretary of State's Office.
Earlier in the week, Hutchinson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that a convincing victory over Duggar was important to show national party leaders that he can turn back a serious Democratic challenge expected this fall from Attorney General Mark Pryor.
Hutchinson, who is serving his first term in the Senate, was the first Republican senator from Arkansas since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. He claimed the former seat of Democrat David Pryor, the father of his challenger in the general election.
In another key race, Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was elected to his first term as governor in 1998, also appeared headed for an easy victory in his race for the GOP nomination for governor. He had 85 percent of the vote, and his challenger, Doyle Cannady, trailed with 15 percent.
State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher had 62 percent of the vote in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in a three-way race and appeared to be Huckabee's challenger in the fall election.
