FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County will have its first black county judge, according to preliminary, unofficial election results released Tuesday.
Joseph Wood, a Republican, beat Fayetteville Alderman Mark Kinion, a Democrat, to take over the Democratic-held county judge seat, according to unofficial, preliminary figures released late Tuesday.
Washington County
County Judge
Kinion(D)35,363(45%)
Wood(R)44,103(55%)
Assessor
Waddle(D)31,669(40%)
Hill(R)47,429(60%)
Justice of Peace
District 3
Bowman (R)2,592(62%)
Gaber (D)1,577(38%)
District 5
Cavender(D)1,270(35%)
Patterson(R)2,395(65%)
District 8
Balls (D)3,652(61%)
Taylor (R)2,358(39%)
District 11
Kieklak (D)2,443(67%)
Briney (R)1,226(33%)
District 14
Harbison(D)2,892(50.34%)
Renfrow (R)2,853(49.66%)
Latest results available at nwadg.com/vote.
"I appreciate the citizens of the county, employees of the county and the people who supported us," Wood said Tuesday night.
Wood will be the first Republican to hold the Washington County position since 1978. He said he and another newly elected county judge will be the first two black county chief executives in the state. Arkansas is moving forward, Wood said.
In the other countywide race, Assessor Russell Hill, a Republican, held onto his position, beating out challenger Carol Waddle, a Democrat, unofficial, preliminary results show. Hill had focused on increasing technology and efficiency inside the Assessor's Office during his campaign.
Wood will replace outgoing County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat who did not seek re-election and lost a bid for a justice of the peace seat in the primary elections. Wood will be sworn in as the new judge in early January.
Wood said during his campaign that he will focus on roads and bridges, safety issues and economic development in the county during his time as county judge. He plans to meet with county employees before implementing a strategy, he said Tuesday.
The county judge oversees about a third of the county's roughly 570 employees in the animal shelter, road maintenance, veterans services and a dozen other departments.
Wood, who is deputy Secretary of State, had strong support among business leaders, according to campaign contribution and expenditure reports filed Nov. 1.
The election of Wood means the county's top executive position will change to Republican, which is in line with the majority of representatives on the Quorum Court. The Quorum Court has 10 Republican justices of the peace and five Democratic justices of the peace.
The Quorum Court is in charge of the county's $65 million budget.
Justice of the Peace Ann Harbison, a Democrat from District 14, barely won her re-election bid against Republican Jim Renfrow, according to preliminary results. Harbison defeated Renfrow once before in 2014.
Harbison's district covers south-south central Washington County.
Newcomer Joseph Kieklak, a Democrat, beat Republican candidate Patrick Briney to represent District 11 that covers south-south central Fayetteville. Kieklak replaces Gary McHenry, a Democrat who was appointed to the Quorum Court and could not run for re-election this year.
Justices of the Peace Harvey Bowman, District 3, and Joe Patterson, District 5, both Republicans, and Justice of the Peace Daniel Balls, District 8, a Democrat, easily won re-election Tuesday, unofficial, preliminary results show.
Bowman beat Andrew Gaber, a Democrat, to keep his seat. Balls handily defeated his challenger, newcomer candidate Republican Samuel Taylor, preliminary results show.
Bowman's district covers north-north central Springdale. Patterson's district covers north-northeastern Washington County. Balls covers north-north central Fayetteville.
NW News on 11/09/2016