Lawmakers in U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton's home state of Arkansas have given initial approval to a bill that would let the freshman Republican run simultaneously for re-election and for president in 2020.
The Arkansas Senate voted 32-1 Thursday to let U.S. Senate and congressional candidates appear on the ballot for president or vice president in the same election.
Republican state Sen. Bart Hester said Cotton was the type of candidate he had in mind when he proposed the change in state law. The measure now heads to the Arkansas House.
Cotton was elected in November. He hasn't expressed interest in running for president, but he is receiving considerable attention for his authoring a public letter, with 46 other senators, to Iran about nuclear negotiations involving the United States.