So, who's going to win in November?
What? Too soon?
What’s The Point?
One county judge candidates has challenged the incumbent in Washington County to debates. Such events are helpful for voters trying to make up their minds, even if the suggestion is politically driven.
Primary election season is over. Well, almost. There are a few runoff elections necessary to finish the people's business at the polls. But once that's done and all the "thank you" ads have been placed, we're sure to get a breather. At least 15 or 20 minutes.
Then, watch out. If a few of the primary campaigns seemed to have gotten negative, just think about this: Those came from people who are within the same party, or worse, from judicial candidates who more or less pledge a certain level of decorum in their actions. Just imagine what it's going to be like with Democrats and Republicans, and a few Greenies and Libertarians thrown into the mix, too.
Locally, some campaigns for victory in November were under way even before any of us cast ballots in Tuesday's election. One prime example is the race that sounds like a clash between English kings -- Williams vs. Edwards. They're vying for a slightly less-monarchical office known as the county judge of Washington County.
Marilyn Edwards has been political office longer than many kings or queens. She served 26 years as Washington County clerk, then three terms in Arkansas General Assembly before succeeding Jerry Hunton in 2008 as the administrative leader of county government. She's a Democrat seeking her fourth term.
Jeff Williams is in his second term as the Washington County assessor, but he wants to be the judge. He's a former Springdale alderman and tried to win the judge's post in 2004 against Hunton, before turning his attention to the assessor's office. He's a Republican.
For someone who likes to play the odds, it's a safe bet this race will be, shall we say, intense.
We got one sign of that last week. Williams issued a challenge for Edwards to participate in three debates before the November election. Each one should be in a different town and in the evenings, so people can attend, he suggested.
Edwards said it's too early to discuss the November election and declined to comment.
Williams, of course, is operating from a political playbook that suggests its to his advantage to get Edwards into a head-to-head debate. It's a tried-and-true strategy that seeks to even the playing field, to negate the advantages of incumbency by putting challenger and challenged on the same stage. Often, the one proposing debates is running behind and views debates as a way to catch up without having to spend money on advertising or self-promotion.
It's worth noting the ability to perform well in a debate isn't the same as running a critically important county office. Voters should evaluate candidates on the entirety of their public records and their stances on issues relative to the position they seek.
Our stance is simple: Any opportunity for voters to evaluate candidates side by side is beneficial to the democratic process. Voters don't often get a chance to see their candidates engage each other in a meaningful way. Of course, judging from a fairly small turnout in Tuesday's election, they may not jump at a chance to hear two candidates for county judge duke it out in debate fashion.
But it would be nice to see them have a chance.
Commentary on 05/22/2014