Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Coulter To Seek Bumpers' Seat

One of the first salvos has been fired in the 1998 race for U.S. Senate.

Sen. Dale Bumpers is stepping down after 22 years of service as senator. This has caused much speculation across Arkansas about who will be his replacement, as well as who will be tossing their hats into the political arena in this race.

Nate Coulter, the Democratic Party's 1993 pick for lieutenant governor, and who was the '92 campaign manager for Sen. Bumpers, has formed an exploratory committee for a bid for the position.

"I'm excited about running for the Senate next year," Coulter said. "With the retirement of Sen. Bumpers and Sen. David Pryor, the voters in Arkansas will be looking to a new generation of Arkansans for leadership. I believe my background and beliefs, along with my experience as a statewide candidate, equip me to be a part of the new leadership."

The idea of trying to fill Sen. Bumpers' shoes, Coulter said, is humbling. "I am inspired by his example when he stepped forward in 1970 as a fresh face for governor. I am confident I can provide common sense ideas and honest answers Arkansans have come to expect from their Senators."

Sen. Bumpers has served in the U.S. Senate since 1975. He announced, on June 14, 1997, he would not be seeking re-election next year.

Coulter, who raised nearly $500,000 in his 1993 campaign, said he is forming the Nate Coulter for U.S. Senate Campaign Committee "to confirm my interest in making the race and to see if I can raise the money I'll need to be viable."

Along with forming a committee, Coulter submitted the documents enabling a potential candidate for federal office to receive campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission.

In 1993, Coulter defeated five other candidates in the Democratic primary to become the party's nominee for lieutenant governor in a July special election. He narrowly lost to the Republican candidate, Mike Huckabee.

Coulter, 37, is a native of Nashville and a graduate of Harvard University. He served as assistant legal counsel in the Office of the Governor under then-Gov. Bill Clinton. He currently works as an attorney in private practice. He and his wife, Hope, have three children, ages seven, five and seven months.

Along with Arkansas, the other states with open Senate seats next fall are Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Republicans currently hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate. Democrats will defend 18 seats in the 1998 election, while Republicans will have to defend 16.