Washington County Filings End; Some Candidates Unopposed

FAYETTEVILLE — Newcomers likely will fill a circuit judge seat, the county prosecutor position and several seats on the Washington County Quorum Court without an election fight after political filings wrapped up Monday.

Candidates for local positions across the board, including several incumbents, had no opponent Monday afternoon.

The sheriff and county judge races have one candidate from each party. County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat, is running against Assessor Jeff Williams, a Republican. Sheriff Tim Helder, a Democrat, will face Republican Mort Marshall, a retired Farmington police chief.

When there's only one candidate from each party in a race, they bypass the May 20 primaries and go straight to the November ballot.

Judicial Races

There will be three contested races in the 4th Judicial District, which includes Washington and Madison counties.

Incumbent Judge Stacey Zimmerman drew a challenger in the race for Juvenile Division judge. Lisa Parks, a Fayetteville lawyer, is running against Zimmerman in the Division 3 race.

In the race for the Division 1 seat, Circuit Judge Doug Martin is being challenged by Brian Lester, a Fayetteville lawyer. Martin was appointed judge in Division 2 after Kim Smith retired. Martin could not run for the Division 2 bench because of the appointment but could run for the Division 1 seat held by Judge William Storey.

Storey could not run for re-election without losing his state pension and decided to run for Fayetteville District Judge. He will face Tim Snively, a Fayetteville lawyer, in the May judicial election.

Prosecuting Attorney John Threet did not draw an opponent for the Circuit Judge, Division 2 seat, held by Martin.

Matt Durrett, Threet's chief deputy, will take his boss's old job as prosecuting attorney for the 4th Judicial District.

Circuit Judges Cristi Beaumont, Division 4, and Beth Bryan Storey, Division 5, do not have opponents for re-election.

Republicans Leading

Nine Quorum Court seats have one candidate each, and the balance favors Republicans. Newcomers Lisa Ecke and Robbie Wilkinson are likely to join Republicans Tom Lundstrum, Harvey Bowman, Joe Patterson and Butch Pond after the November election.

"I'm going to go in there and do what I think is right," said Wilkinson, an Arvest Bank financial planner and Springdale Airport commissioner. "I'm from this area my entire life -- anything I can do to help it grow."

All except Pond represent a district north of Fayetteville and have no opponents.

The Democrats of Washington County plan to focus on the area in the coming years, said Tyler Clark, chairman.

"That's where our party ID is the weakest," he said. "It is disappointing to see some of those seats go."

He said efforts will include outreach to Springdale's Latino population, which almost doubled between 2000 and 2010 and now comprises one in three residents of the city, according to the U.S. Census.

Democrats focused on candidates who are competent and dedicated for at least two terms instead of trying to run for every seat, Clark said.

"Running for office is a commitment -- family, financial and otherwise -- and time is another issue," he said.

On the Democrat side, Sue Madison has no opposition for District 12 in southeast Fayetteville. She isn't an incumbent but served on the court in the early 1990s before several terms in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Eva Madison and John Firmin, whose district includes the University of Arkansas campus, are the only Democrat incumbents without opponents.

"It's difficult when you have a longtime incumbent in a district that has been handled by a party for a long time -- it's difficult to get people to run," said Lance Johnson, Washington County Republicans chairman. "We are generally very, very pleased."

That leaves six districts that will be decided by voters.

Two must go through the Republican primary May 20. Rick Cochran of District 7, west of Fayetteville and Farmington, will go against fellow Republican James Maynard. The winner will then face Kendra Boyle, a Farmington prosecutor.

Republicans Robert Dennis and Pedro Fimbres will face off for District 10, covering southwest Fayetteville and Farmington. Whoever wins the primary will run against Democrat James Miller.

In districts 4, 8, 13 and 14 it's a Democrat against Republican race Nov. 4.

NW News on 03/04/2014