Brown resigns, Tumey named to Benton County Election Commission

ROGERS -- John Brown Jr. resigned from the Benton County Election Commission and Robbyn Tumey replaces him as the Democratic Party's representative on the three-member panel.

The other commission members are Republicans Russ Anzalone, chairman, and Mike Sevak. Anzalone said he tried to persuade Brown to remain on the commission.

"John has really been the mainstay here," Anzalone said. "John has been so knowledgeable about election laws, he's really helped me since I became chairman."

Tumey also said she's sorry Brown decided to leave the commission.

"It's always been a passion for John, as it is for me," she said. "I'm not happy about the circumstances. We talked about it. I'm just going to try to fill his shoes."

Brown resigned earlier this month, citing health reasons. He served from 2011 to 2018, according to records in the County Clerk's Office.

This isn't Tumey's first time on the commission. She served from 2011 to 2015, according to county records.

Election commission members are appointed by political parties, according to state law. The party whose candidates hold a majority of the state's seven constitutional offices -- governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and commissioner of state lands -- appoints two members. The party holding less than a majority or which polled the second greatest number of votes for governor in the last general election, if all the constitutional officers are from a single party, appoints one member of the commission.

Currently, the Republican Party appoints two members and the Democratic Party appoints one.

Appointments are made by the county committees of each party in January of odd-numbered years for two-year terms. Vacancies are filled through appointment by the county committees.

NW News on 03/17/2018

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