Election Results: New judge, some races headed to runoffs

Primary, judicial, school board seats up for grabs

By Ralph Hardin

news@theeveningtimes.com

Crittenden County joined with the rest of Arkansas and more than a dozen states across the U.S. for “Super Tuesday” elections.

For local voters, that meant a full slate of party primaries and decisions to make from President of the United States to state and local races.

It was a relatively light turnout, with fewer than 5,000 ballots cast countywide. Ultimately, local voters fell in line with the rest of the state in the two presidential primaries.

President Joe Biden garnered 1,803 out or 2,156 votes cast in the Democratic primary against a field of also-rans that received little support.

It was slightly more competitive on the GOP side, but not by much. Former president Donald Trump received 1,852 votes from local voters, to 238 for Nikki Haley, 48 for former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, 26 for Ron DeSantis and single-digit totals for all others. Biden and Trump both easily won their statewide primaries. Other races were much more competitive.

The races to fill the seats in the Arkansas House of Representatives were crowded, with 10 candidates total seeking to fill two soon-to-be-vacant positions. With both State Rep.

Deborah Ferguson (D-West Memphis, Dist. 63) and State Rep. Milton Nicks (D-Marion, Dist. 35) stepping down, both seats were up for grabs.

Tammi Bell was the lone Republican on the ballot for the District 63 nomination, but who she will face in November is as yet unclear after no candidate tallied a majority of votes in the Democratic primary.

Heading to a runoff are the top two finishers: Hughes mayor Lincoln Barnett (48.43%) and West Memphis businessman Fred Leonard (42.29%). Constable Billy Thomen (9.28%) will not appear on the runoff ballot.

In the District 35 race, GOP voters overwhelmingly picked Robert Thorne Jr. (94.10%) over his opponent Gary Tobar (5.90%). On the Democratic side, however, the nomination is still up in the air.

Jessie McGruder (46.59%) outpolled his competition by a fair margin but failed to earn an outright majority, so he will face Raymond Whiteside (23.78%) in a runoff next month. Demetris Johnson Jr. (15.41%) and Sherry Holliman (14.22%) were eliminated from contention.

In other local races of note, District 21 will have a new judge come Jan. 1, 2025.

Tyler Ginn outpolled Tiarra Tanner 2,844 to 1,591 to win the race to replace longtime District Judge Fred Thorne.

The West Memphis School Board will also have a new look as Jack Poff Jr. defeated incumbent Anthony Hampton for the district’s At-Large No.

1 seat.

There were also a handful of contested Quorum Court races Tuesday night. In the Republi-

See VOTE, page A3

Photo by Ralph Hardin VOTE

From page A1

can primary for the JP District 2 nomination, Albert Marconi topped Otis Rushing 300 to 51. The remaining primaries for the quorum court were all Democrats including: JP District 3 – Stacy Allen 101, Patsy Hull 73 JP District 4 – Tamara Hood 186, Patsy Hull 73 JP District 5 – Marco McClendon 134, Tyrone McWright 55 JP District 7 – Rickey Mc-Cauley 160, Ronnie Marconi 117 JP District 10 – Jimmy Fraley 126, Dorothy Cooper 98 All other Crittenden County Quorum Court races were uncontested, with candidates moving directly to the Nov. 5 ballot.

Judicial Races

A number of nonpartisan judicial races were also held on Tuesday, including a seat on the highest court in the state up for grabs.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Position 1

Justice Karen Baker – 86,745 Justice Rhonda Wood 84,028 Justice Barbara Womack Webb – 82,634 Jay Martin – 65,793 No candidate in the tightlycontested race received a majority of votes, so Baker (27.18%) and Wood (26.32%) will face each other in a runoff next month.

State Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 2

Justice Courtney Hudson 188,845 Carlton Jones – 124,478

4

Doug Brimhall – 12,731 Curtis Walker Jr. – 11,391 All results are considered unofficial until certification by the Crittenden County Board of Election Commissioners and the Arkansas Secretary of State.

Crittenden County Election Commissioner Frank Barton reported there were 21 provisional ballots still to be considered but that those were not expected to alter the outcome of any of the races held Tuesday.

Photo by Ralph Hardin