Despite promises that a candidate was on the way, Republicans in Arkansas failed to field a challenger against first-term Democrat Mark Pryor. Yesterday was the deadline for filing for office, and the Arkansas Republican Party chairman announced no candidate from his party would file. That leaves Pryor facing Green Party candidate Rebekah Kennedy, virtually assuring him of re-election.

In a strong Republican year in 2002, Pryor was one of Democrats' few bright spots, knocking off incumbent Senator Tim Hutchinson by a 54%-46% margin. This year, Pryor, the son of former Senator David Pryor, whose seat Hutchinson had taken upon the elder's retirement, had stockpiled $3.6 million for his re-election bid, scaring away a number of potentially strong challengers.

National Republicans held out hope of recruiting one-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, the state's former governor, though he repeatedly demurred. The fact that Republicans could not field a challenger, though, is another blow to a party already wounded by what looks to be a terribly unfavorable landscape. Failing to find challengers for a sitting Senator, including one in a state that voted twice for President Bush and elected Huckabee statewide several times, is not the way to attract new donors.

The GOP has been particularly hard-hit in the state, losing every statewide contest in 2006, including the governor's mansion by a whopping 14 points. Democrats hold big margins in both houses of the state legislature, as well as three of the four Arkansas Congressional districts.

The omission helps national Democrats, as well: Pryor, instead of spending time worried about his own re-election chances, can now spend the rest of 2008 working for and raising money for other Democrats around the country.