It’s official: Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge will run in 2016 for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican John Boozman.
Eldridge will seek the Democratic nomination. He resigned as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas on Aug. 21.
Arkansas Business reported in early August that Eldridge’s name was being floated as a possible challenger to Boozman, the former congressman from northwest Arkansas first elected to the Senate in 2010. Just days after resigning his U.S. Attorney post, Eldridge confirmed that he was considering a run.
In a campaign statement released Wednesday, Eldridge said he was running to fix a “broken” system. He told ArkansasBusiness.com that he felt the time was right for a run and while not specifically naming Boozman, he said Congress is ineffective and doesn’t get things done.
“Now’s the time,” he said. “I had no interest in waiting to go to work to fix real problems. I think Arkansans are truly frustrated, whether they’re Republican, Democrat or independent. They want things to be different and I’m ready to start trying to do that. People want candidates not focused on party but on the problems they are facing in their communities.”
Eldridge was appointed U.S. Attorney in 2010. His campaign statement called him an aggressive prosecutor of child pornographers, drug traffickers and “fraudsters.”
“It was an incredible honor to serve as U.S. Attorney, and I’ll be forever grateful to the dedicated people in that office and in law enforcement throughout Arkansas,” Eldridge said in the statement. “Today I’m starting the next chapter in my working life, and I couldn’t be happier that this decision will allow me to continue to serve the state I love and all of us who are fortunate to call Arkansas home.”
Arkansas Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb issued his own statement in response to Eldridge’s announcement:
“Arkansans made it clear over the past three election cycles that the destructive, liberal policies of Barack Obama are not welcome here. Conner Eldridge has likened himself to Obama, which is not surprising given Obama’s appointing him U.S. Attorney.”
Eldridge said Arkansas’ political transformation from blue to red wouldn’t serve as an obstacle to his election as a Democrat.
“People who know me know that I’m my own person,” he said. “As U.S. Attorney, I worked for the people of this state and I’ll continue to do so as Senator. It’s not about one political party. I deeply believe people in Arkansas see through partisan politics and want somebody who’ll stand up to leaders in Washington regardless of party affiliation.”
Eldridge is a member of the Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2008. He is the former CEO of Summit Bank in Arkadelphia (Summit was acquired by Bank of the Ozarks) and worked on the staffs of U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, the Democrat who was defeated by Boozman, and U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, a Democrat who represented Arkansas’ First District.
He also clerked for U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Eisele.
Eldridge graduated from high school in Lonoke, received his bachelor’s degree in English from Davidson College in North Carolina and his law degree from the University of Arkansas.
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