Snyder Decides To Retire
Citing family concerns, Arkansas Rep. Vic Snyder (D) announced that he’ll retire rather than run for an eighth term.
“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.