School Elections Draw 534 Early Votes

BENTONVILLE -- Early voting has attracted 262 Bentonville School District voters from the two zones where there are races for School Board, according to the Benton County Clerk's Office.

Willie Cowgur is running for re-election in Zone 4 against Kirsten Johnston. There have been 162 votes in that race.

Lisa Clark is hoping to retain her seat against Travis Riggs in Zone 5. There have been 100 votes in that race.

Early voting began Tuesday and will end Monday. The election will be Tuesday.

A total of 534 people from Benton County had cast ballots early for school board and millage issues through Friday. That number included 162 votes in the Gravette School District, which has proposed a 3.6-mill tax increase to build an elementary school and add on to its high school.

In the Pea Ridge district, four votes had been cast through Friday in a school board race that features three candidates.

It's this time of year every district must give its residents the opportunity to vote on the total millage it collects. Those millage rates stay the same, however, regardless of whether they pass or fail at the polls.

These types of millage votes frequently confuse people who think they're being asked to approve a new tax, said Tena O'Brien, Benton County clerk.

Pre-election campaign reports were due to the county clerk's office Tuesday, detailing contributions and expenditures through at least Sept. 6 if they had spent or received more than $500.

Reports filed by all four candidates for the Bentonville School Board this week showed they had spent a combined $11,319 on their campaigns and raised $7,499.

Riggs reported the highest total raised with $3,450. Among the contributors to his campaign was Galen Havner, who retired from the School District this year as human resources director and is treasurer of Riggs' campaign. He gave $50.

As of Sept. 6, Riggs had spent $1,996 on campaign signs and fliers.

Clark, Riggs' opponent, reported raising $699, but she'd spent $5,510, equal to the amount of her own money she reported putting into the race. Most of that money -- $3,325 -- went toward campaign signs and graphic design services.

Clark said she's been enjoying door-to-door campaigning more than she'd anticipated.

"I have been prayed over, invited to stay for dinner, and even had one lovely lady do a 'happy dance' when I introduced myself," Clark wrote in an e-mail. "This community is amazing, and I am feeling so very fortunate to be a part of it."

Riggs said he expects somewhere between 150 and 200 votes to be cast in his race. Despite having spent 11 years on the board before resigning last year, this is the first time he's had to campaign for it. Like the other candidates, he's spent time going door to door.

"The feedback I'm getting is pretty positive," Riggs said. "I've been surprised how in tune many community members are with the activities of the board. A lot of people seem to be up to speed with the topics."

In the Zone 4 race, Cowgur had raised $3,350 and spent $2,919 as of Monday, according to his finance report. The biggest donations to his campaign were $500 each from Steve Carter, Michelle Carter, June Carter, Jim Walton and Stephanie Howell. Cowgur had spent his money on campaign signs, fliers, stickers and T-shirts.

Johnston, Cowgur's opponent, said this week she has spent $1,567 on her campaign. It was all her own money because she had decided from the start not to solicit or accept donations, she said.

Johnston, a first-time candidate for an elected office, said she's loved the campaign experience.

"I've been knocking on doors for six weeks. I've had only five people who didn't even want to take a flier," she said. "There are many, many people who care, who are engaged and in support of education regardless of whether they have kids."

Cowgur said he's received great feedback.

"In the end, the community will vote in whomever they believe will do what is best for the kids and the district," Cowgur wrote in an email.

Clark and Johnston missed the deadline to file their pre-election campaign reports. Both filed their reports Thursday, two days after the deadline.

Johnston said she misunderstood exactly when the reports were due.

"I'm completely responsible for not reporting it," Johnston said.

Those who miss the filing deadline are subject to fines depending on how late the reports were filed and how many times they've violated the rule. However, before any action may be taken, someone must file a complaint with the Arkansas Ethics Commission, O'Brien said. She added as clerk, she's not obligated to file such a complaint.

Riggs said he would not file a complaint against Clark. Cowgur declined comment on the matter.

Final campaign finance reports are due Oct. 30.