NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Republican Bob Clinard overwhelmed write-in candidate Jeff Broadston in the race for Benton County judge.
Clinard, 60, who beat incumbent Dave Bisbee and two others in the May 8 Republican primary, said he expected victory Tuesday.
“He was a write-in candidate,” Clinard said of Broadston. “I knew he wouldn’t get a lot of votes.”
Clinard said he’ll look at county operations to see if they are efficient and cost-effective. He also wants to support the Road Department and make improvements to county byways. If possible, Clinard said, he would like to grant pay raises to county employees.
“They’re the lifeblood of the county,” he said.
Unofficial results were:
Clinard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,012 Broadston . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
County judge races also were held in Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Scott counties.
Unofficially, Republican James Norton had a significant lead in Boone County, Republican Frank Weaver was leading in Madison County, incumbent Democrat James Forbes appeared to have won in Scott County, and incumbent Democrat Sam Barr held a significant lead in Carroll County.
In Newton County, the candidates were divided by just 15 votes.
Candidates in all six races expressed concern over the condition of rural roads. In one county, a jail was the chief concern. In another, a debate brewed over whether to approve alcohol sales. Other county judge candidates were concerned witheconomic development and keeping hold of federal funds vital to county operations.
BOONE COUNTY
Republican James Norton, 68, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Independent Bill Witty, 48, said extra attention should be given to improving county roads. He also said the county judge should shoulder the responsibility of promoting economic development.
In regard to the muchdiscussed ballot initiative to allow alcohol sales in Boone County, Witty said he favored the initiative because of the tax revenue and jobs it could create.
Opponent Bobby Woods, a 51-year-old Democrat, disagreed with the alcohol proposal on religious grounds.
Unofficial results were:
Norton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,260 Witty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,596 Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,467
CARROLL COUNTY
Incumbent Sam Barr, 72, a Democrat, said he hopes to win the election and looks forward to more harmony in his county. He faced Republican challenger Andrew Wilhelm, 44.
“We’ll try and come together as a family and work together for the betterment of the county,” he said. “There’s a lot of road work improvements we’d like to make if we can find the money.”
Early unofficial results were:
Barr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,600 Wilhelm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,364
MADISON COUNTY
In Madison County, Republican Frank Weaver, 57, was the leader after early voting yet was hesitant to usethose early numbers to predict victory.
“Call me a couple of hours from now,” he told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
A big issue for Madison County taxpayers is the county jail. The facility is small and is not adequate for the housing of female inmates and sex offenders. Democrat Danny Thomas said he will support a new jail and the tax needed to pay for it.
Weaver said he wanted to repair roads damaged in the past by floods, ice, snow and routine wear and tear.
Like his opponents, he acknowledged a need for action regarding the jail but did not say what form of action he would support.
Weaver said he’s not willing to call for a new jail tax until other avenues of housing inmates, including housing inmates in other county jails, is explored.
Thomas, 41, was a close second to Weaver based on early vote totals. He said he’s support a new jail and sales tax needed to finance construction.
Justin Estepp, 29, an independent, was a distant third based on early and absentee votes.
Unofficial results were:
Weaver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517 Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486 Estepp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
NEWTON COUNTY
In Newton County, incumbent John Griffith, 55, an independent, faced challenger Warren Campbell, 35.
The race was too tight to call as of press time Tuesday evening.
Unofficial results were:
Griffith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,708 Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,723
Griffith said his top priority is economic development. But in a rural county with a small population and most of the land owned by the federal government, that’s hard to do, he said in an interview prior to Tuesday’s election. The county’s best shot, said Griffith, is to try to encourage commercial development on U.S. 65, a few miles of which cut through the northeast corner of the county.
Campbell could not be reached for comment.
SCOTT COUNTY
Forbes, 55, county judge since January 2007, appeared to have defeated his Republican opponent, Tommy Vanover, 65.
“This went the way we expected it to go,” said Forbes. “We worked hard to take care of everybody, and we did.”
Unofficial results were:
Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,997 Vanover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,092
Forbes said in interviews prior to election night that the most important thing he can do is lobby for full reauthorization of a federal bill that helps his county.
Under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, a portion of the proceeds from logging in national forests is returned to local communities for schools and roads. Scott County, which is part of the Ouachita National Forest, gets more than $1 million each year from the program, Forbes said.
However, Forbes said, the program is in danger of being authorized at only 60 percent. If re-elected, he said he would continue to lobby for the act’s reauthorization at 100 percent.
Vanover had championed economic development for the county.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 11/03/2010