LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Former Arkansas defensive lineman Jake Bequette on Monday announced he’s challenging Arkansas Sen. John Boozman in next year’s Republican primary.
Bequette, an Army veteran who also played eight games in the NFL with the New England Patriots after they selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft, launched his bid with an online video touting his football and military background.
“What’s happening in Washington these days is a disgrace. Democrats have been taken over by radical socialists, and too many Republicans just go along to get along,” Bequette says in the ad as images of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez flash across the screen.
Boozman, who was first elected to the seat in 2010 and was reelected in 2016, faces a crowded primary next year. Other challengers include Jan Morgan, a Hot Springs gun range owner who unsuccessfully ran against Gov. Asa Hutchinson in the 2014 GOP primary.
Boozman, also a former Razorback, won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump this year. He reported in April having more than $1.1 million in the bank for his reelection bid.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
