Ark. 2: Snyder Wins After All

(AllPolitics, Nov. 6) -- Democrat Victor Snyder enjoyed a "Dewey Beats Truman" scenario, after his race for Arkansas' open 2nd seat was initially called for his opponent, Republican Bud Cummins.

With 97 percent of the precincts counted, Snyder had 52 percent of the vote, to Cummins 48 percent.

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.