FAYETTEVILLE — The first day of Washington County candidate filings featured several incumbents and few surprises.
About two dozen people signaled their plan Monday to run for local office. Other candidates for the May 20 primaries must sign up by noon March 3.
CANDIDATE FILINGS
Washington County Political Offices
The following candidates filed Monday for local political offices at the Washington County Courthouse. Filing for the May 20 party primaries continues through noon March 3.
County Clerk
Becky Lewallen (R)*
Circuit Clerk
Kyle Sylvester (R)*
County Judge
Marilyn Edwards (D)*
Jeff Williams (R)
County Treasurer
Bobby Hill (R)
County Assessor
Joshua Leon Crawford (R)
County Collector
David Ruff (R)*
Sheriff
Tim Helder (D)*
Mort Marshall (R)
Justices of the Peace
District 1
Tom Lundstrum (R) *
District 5
Joe Patterson (R) *
District 6
Lisa Ecke (R)
District 7
Rick Cochran (R)*
District 9
Eva Madison (D)*
District 10
James Miller (D)
District 12
Sue Madison (D)
District 13
Joel Maxwell (R)
District 14
Ann Harbison (D)*
District 15
Butch Pond (R)*
JUDICIAL
The following candidates filed Monday for judicial and prosecuting attorney offices in the 4th Judicial District that includes Washington and Madison counties at the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office in Little Rock. Elections for Arkansas judges and prosecuting attorneys are nonpartisan. The Judicial General Election is May 20. Filing continues through 3 p.m. March 3.
Circuit Judge, Division 1
Brian Lester
Circuit Judge, Division 2
John Threet
Circuit Judge Division 3, Juvenile Court
Stacey Zimmerman *
Lisa Parks
Circuit Judge, Division 5
Beth Storey Bryan *
FAYETTEVILLE DISTRICT COURT
The following candidates filed for Fayetteville District Judge
William Storey
Tim Snively
(R) Republican (D) Democrat *Incumbent
Source: Staff Report
After one day of filing, contested races were the exception rather than the rule. The 10 candidates for Quorum Court filed for different seats, for example. Filings for county clerk, circuit clerk, treasurer, assessor and collector were all singular.
Most of those who filed also were incumbents. Republicans Tom Lundstrum, Joe Patterson, Rick Cochran and Butch Pond joined Democrats Eva Madison and Ann Harbison in filing for another term on the Quorum Court. County Judge Marilyn Edwards will run for re-election, with Assessor Jeff Williams, a Republican, her only opponent so far.
Earlier this month, Cochran said he was unlikely to run again, pointing to the lack of time he could spend with family. He said Monday evening some of those concerns had been resolved, and the person who wanted to take his place ran into time conflicts.
A handful of new names did appear.
Republican Joshua Crawford will try for the assessor position. Democrat and newcomer James Miller filed for a Quorum Court seat, as did Republicans Lisa Ecke and Joel Maxwell. Maxwell hopes to replace Ron Aman, who said last week he won't run for re-election.
Miller and Ecke said they would be restrained with county spending.
"If we need it, then do it, but it's not my money," said Ecke, who owns a food service and catering business in Springdale with her husband, Roger. She hopes to replace Rex Bailey, another conservative, who announced his retirement early this month.
Miller said he'd lived in Farmington for more than two decades and would also "carry on the tradition" of careful spending.
"I just thought this was another way to help to serve my community," he said.
NW News on 02/25/2014