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|title="12 {sic} dead in tourist boat accident at Hot Springs,"|date=May 2, 1999|publisher=''Northwest Arkansas Times'': rrbi.com|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>

|title="12 {sic} dead in tourist boat accident at Hot Springs,"|date=May 2, 1999|publisher=''Northwest Arkansas Times'': rrbi.com|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>

Before entering the gubernatorial race, Keet had planned to seek the position of lieutenant governor, which incumbent Democrat Bill Halter vacated in his bid to unseat [[U.S. Senator]] [[Blanche Lincoln]]. Keet left his state House after fewer than two years of service to run unsuccessfully in 1990 against the Democrat [[Ray Thornton]] for the [[United States House of Representatives]] seat vacated by Democrat-turned-Republican Tommy F. Robinson, who instead made an ill-fated gubernatorial bid, having lost the primary to [[Sheffield Nelson]], who in turn was defeated by [[Bill Clinton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansasgop.org/index.cfm?p=Blog&ContentRecord_id=21a73a10-f552-40b6-99ec-be342eaf514e&ContentType_id=f6f7c5c6-e3e7-4305-8eaa-a6a2dcf251a3&Group_id=04ed66ba-5652-49c7-9b1f-e77bde170609&MonthDisplay=4&YearDisplay=2010|title=Republican Jim Keet to Form Exploratory Committee for Lieutenant Governor Campaign|publisher=arkansasgop.org|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>

Before entering the gubernatorial race, Keet had planned to seek the position of lieutenant governor, which incumbent Democrat Bill Halter vacated in his bid to unseat [[U.S. Senator]] [[Blanche Lincoln]]. Keet left his state House after fewer than two years of service to run unsuccessfully in 1990 against the Democrat Ray Thornton for the [[United States House of Representatives]] seat vacated by Democrat-turned-Republican Tommy F. Robinson, who instead made an ill-fated gubernatorial bid, having lost the primary to [[Sheffield Nelson]], who in turn was defeated by [[Bill Clinton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansasgop.org/index.cfm?p=Blog&ContentRecord_id=21a73a10-f552-40b6-99ec-be342eaf514e&ContentType_id=f6f7c5c6-e3e7-4305-8eaa-a6a2dcf251a3&Group_id=04ed66ba-5652-49c7-9b1f-e77bde170609&MonthDisplay=4&YearDisplay=2010|title=Republican Jim Keet to Form Exploratory Committee for Lieutenant Governor Campaign|publisher=arkansasgop.org|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>

Prior to 2002, Keet managed the Little Rock office of then U.S. Senator [[Tim Hutchinson]], who was unseated that year by the Democrat [[Mark Pryor]], the son of former Senator and Governor [[David Pryor]]. Keet left Arkansas in 2002 to manage a troubled business, successfully turning around the failing company, but returned to Arkansas in 2008.<ref name=brummett>{{cite web|url=http://arkansasnews.com/2010/02/27/jim-keet-returns-for-governor/|author=John Brummett|title= "Jim Keet returns . . . for governor?"|date=February 27, 2010|publisher=arkansasnews.com|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>

Prior to 2002, Keet managed the Little Rock office of then U.S. Senator [[Tim Hutchinson]], who was unseated that year by the Democrat [[Mark Pryor]], the son of former Senator and Governor [[David Pryor]]. Keet left Arkansas in 2002 to manage a troubled business, successfully turning around the failing company, but returned to Arkansas in 2008.<ref name=brummett>{{cite web|url=http://arkansasnews.com/2010/02/27/jim-keet-returns-for-governor/|author=John Brummett|title= "Jim Keet returns . . . for governor?"|date=February 27, 2010|publisher=arkansasnews.com|accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>