Incumbent Democratic Senator Dale Bumpers chose to retire instead of running for reelection to a fifth term.

Democratic former U.S. Representative Blanche Lincoln won the open seat against Republican State Senator Fay Boozman.

Lincoln did not seek re-election to Congress in 1996 because she wanted prioritize her family having welcomed twin boys in mid 1996, thus, she took 2 years off before re-entering the political arena as a Senate candidate.

At 38, Lincoln was the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Senate.

During the campaign, Boozman caused controversy for his comments about rape, claiming that women rarely became pregnant after being raped due to a hormone he described as "God's little protective shield".