by Kathy Groob, Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas), a key voice for Wall Street reform, survived a primary election defeat Tuesday evening forcing a runoff election to be held in June.  She emerged from the primary two percentage points ahead of her Democratic opponent, but because she failed to get 50% of the vote, a runoff is now scheduled for June 8, 2010.

Lincoln has been a leader in the fight to toughen laws in the financial industry.  In an election night speech, Lincoln said, “Big Wall Street banks are unhappy with me because I am fighting to make them stop making those risky trades that have happened in the dark of the night.”  Some political pundits believe that Lincoln will lose her leverage in the fight to toughen laws against big banks and Wall Street because her focus will be centered around her campaign.

Blanche Lincoln was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 at age 38, and at the time was the youngest woman to ever serve in the Senate.  She is a bi-partisan founder of the Senate Hunger Caucus.

For more information or to support Blanche Lincoln, visit http://www.blancheforsenate.com.