Ark. 02: GOP's Cummins Stages Surprise Win

(AllPolitics, Nov. 6) -- Republican Bud Cummins succeeded in upstaging Democrat Victor Snyder to pick up Arkansas' open 2nd seat.

Cummins, a lawyer and businessman, worked to portray Snyder as too liberal for the district. He made an issue of Snyder's sponsorship as state senator of legislation to repeal Arkansas' sodomy law, which Snyder said he opposed on privacy grounds.

Snyder, a physician and Vietnam veteran, emphasized his work in Arkansas' Senate to keep violent criminals in jail, stop gravel mining in some environmentally sensitive areas and eliminate sales tax on food.

The seat came open as Democratic Rep. Ray Thornton decided to leave Congress to seek a seat on the state Supreme Court.