Edwards wins Fourth Term for Washington County Judge

FAYETTEVILLE - County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat, fended off a challenge from Assessor Jeff Williams Tuesday night to win a fourth two-year term.

Fellow Democrat and Sheriff Tim Helder of West Fork earned a sixth term against challenger Mort Marshall.

Unofficial but complete results show Edwards with 27,141 (51 percent) to Wiliams' 26,232 (49 percent).

In the sheriff's race, unofficial but complete results give Helder 36,165 votes (68 percent) to Marshall's 17,131 (32 percent).

The contest between Edwards and Williams essentially pitted Williams' new ideas and ambition against Edwards' decades of county experience and desire to stay steady.

The judge oversees about a third of the county's 570 employees in the animal shelter, road maintenance, veterans services and a dozen other departments.

Williams said he would push the judge's office to improve across the board, consolidating offices and taking a more data-driven approach to road projects and other work. Williams also pledged to work with surrounding counties, cities and regional organizations to split major public projects and jump-start economic development.

This year was his second attempt at winning the judge's seat.

Edwards took a more modest tack than her opponent, saying the judge's job is more about adapting to and coordinating with multiple departments' needs than charting years-long plans. Improving roads and other infrastructure has been among her highest priorities in office, and work on those fronts is expected to continue next year.

This year's is Helder's first general election with an opponent.

The sheriff spends about a third of the county's roughly $60 million budget on law enforcement and the jail, which has been at or near its safe capacity for much of the past year, Helder has said. Jails across the state are struggling with high numbers of inmates because of a congested state prison system.

Marshall, a retired Farmington police chief, based much of his campaign on criticisms of Helder's handling of the problem. Helder hadn't pushed state officials enough to do something about it and wasn't keeping deputies and inmates safe enough in the crowded facility, he said.

Helder said he and his department had done everything they could to keep people safe on either side of the cell door. He's a member of the state sheriff's association, which has pushed the governor and other officials for a new prison, new parole rules and new money for housing state inmates.

Helder also said he'd turned around the workplace culture at the Sheriff's Office, adopting a system for investigating harassment and other complaints that is the envy of the state.

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