Snyder Decides To Retire

“I have concluded that these election-year forces are no match for the persuasive and powerful attraction of our three one-year old boys under the leadership of their three-year old brother, and I have decided not to run for re-election,” Snyder wrote.

With the incumbent off the ballot, CQ-Roll Call has changed the rating on Arkansas’ 2nd district race from Leans Democratic to Leans Republican.

Snyder becomes the fifth House Democrat to announce his retirement since late 2009 following Reps. Dennis Moore of Kansas, Brian Baird of Washington and Bart Gordon and John Tanner of Tennessee.

Snyder had been facing declining polling numbers and a well-funded challenger in attorney Tim Griffin. A poll commissioned by the liberal blog Firedoglake showed Snyder down 17 points to Griffin. And while Griffin is expected to report close to $300,000 in cash on hand in his upcoming Federal Election Commission report, Snyder had yet to raise any money for his re-election effort.

Democrats in Washington were quick to float the names of Lt. Governor Bill Halter, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, state Sen. Shane Broadway and state Public Service Commissioner Paul Suskie as possible candidates. A Halter candidacy would be doubly good news for Democrats in Arkansas, as he has been rumored to be mulling a primary challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), who is facing a tough re-election battle of her own this fall.

Halter spokesman Gary Hoffmann declined to comment about a possible run for Congress.

“We’ll entertain but we won’t answer any questions about the lieutenant governor’s political future in light of this announcement. This is Vic Snyder’s day. It is time to reflect on him,” Hoffmann said.

Halter released a statement Friday evening praising Snyder for serving the 2nd district with “extraordinary distinction and dignity” since being elected to Congress in 1996.

For his part, Griffin appeared to be anticipating a Halter candidacy, telling Arkansas radio station KARN, “I think he has a long history with the labor unions and I think they will be backing him strongly.”

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) released a statement Friday evening expressing his confidence that the party will hold Snyder’s seat in November

“We are confident that a Democrat who shares Congressman Snyder’s commitment to being an independent voice for addressing the economic challenges facing Arkansas’ middle class families will be the next Representative from Arkansas’ 2nd District,” Van Hollen said.

Snyder said Friday his doubts about seeking another term had mounted in recent weeks.

“Two weeks ago my campaign manager came on board, but that first morning I advised him to do nothing to begin the campaign because of my doubts regarding running,” he said. “The onset of the new year, the time I always begin organizing my campaigns, did nothing to remove these doubts.”

Snyder’s decision automatically turns his conservative Little Rock-based seat into a key Republican pickup opportunity, and Republicans wasted little time touting their prospects for November.

“Whomever the Democrats nominate as their sacrificial lamb will be facing a formidable candidate in Griffin and running in a state that has proved to be ground-zero for fever-pitch opposition to the Obama-Pelosi agenda – and any hapless Democrat who seeks to advance that agenda in Washington.” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Seré.

Arkansas 2nd district is a socially conservative seat that picked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the 2008 presidential contest by a 10-point margin.
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