Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Wood re-elected to county judge seat
FAYETTEVILLE — Joseph Wood, the Republican incumbent, defeated Democrat Jim House to win a second term as Washington County judge.
In the four other races for countywide offices, the incumbents won re-election. All officials who are elected countywide have four-year terms beginning in 2019.
Newcomers will fill about one-third of the 15 Justice of the Peace seats on the Quorum Court. Several candidates didn’t draw opposition and according to state law were elected without being on a ballot. Harvey Bowman, a Republican, was re-elected to District 3. Shawndra Jones, a Democrat will represent District 8. Eva Madison, a Democrat, was re-elected to District 9. Suki Lin Highers, a Democrat, was elected to District 11. Willie E. Leming, a Republican, will represent District 13.
Justices of the peace serve two-year terms and are paid $200 per meeting.
COUNTY JUDGE
The complete but unofficial vote totals were:
Wood . . . . . . . . . . . 34,406 (53%) House . . . . . . . . . . 30,802 (47%)
Wood, 53, is a former Arkansas deputy secretary of state and three-term treasurer for the Republican party of Arkansas. A 21-year resident of Fayetteville, he said during the campaign he was running for re-election because he still has a lot of work to do on his bigger vision to improve the county. He mentioned infrastructure, keeping
Washington County as a destination county, educating employees and empowering them to serve, and providing for public safety.
The county judge is the chief executive officer for county government. The judge presides over the Quorum Court without a vote, but with the power of veto.
The judge is now a fouryear term position, because state law extended the term from two to four years. Wood has a salary of $103,698, based on his experience and state law.
ASSESSOR
Russell Hill, a Republican, defeated William Chesser, a Democrat, for assessor.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were:
Hill . . . . . . . . . 36,275 (56%) Chesser . . . . 28,836 (44%)
The responsibility of the assessor’s office is to discover, list and value property in the county. Hill earns $103,531 annually. The salary is based partly on state law and Hill’s experience. The assessor is now a four-year term position, because state law has extended the term from two to four years.
Hill, 45, the incumbent, was first elected in 2014 and is running for his third consecutive term.
Hill, a Winslow resident and Washington County native, said before the election he would continue to promote the values of nonpartisanship, accuracy, superior customer service and wisdom gleaned from pairing experience with education.
CIRCUIT CLERK
Kyle Sylvester, the incumbent and a Republican, defeated Democratic candidate Adrienne Kvello for Circuit Clerk.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Sylvester . . . . 35,822 (55%) Kvello . . . . . . .29,058 (45%)
The Circuit Clerk’s primary duties revolve around filing, docketing, attending court, issuing notices, managing records and reporting to the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
The circuit clerk earns $109,447 a year. The salary is based partly on Sylvester’s length of service and state law. Circuit Clerk is now a four-year term position, because state law has extended the term from two to four years.
Sylvester, 49, is a resident
of Johnson and has lived in Washington County most of his life. He said in his campaign he has worked to create a more transparent and accessible office since his first day in office. He was first elected in 2012 and has served three two-year terms.
COUNTY CLERK
Becky Lewallen, the Republican incumbent, defeated Emily Sledge, a Democrat for County Clerk.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Lewallen . . . . 35,922 (55%) Sledge . . . . . . 28,994 (45%)
The clerk is the official bookkeeper of county government. Duties include handling voter registration, recording and issuing marriage licenses and some certificates, and keeping records for the Quorum Court, equalization board and circuit probate court.
The county clerk earns $109,447 annually. The salary is based partly on state law and Lewallen’s experience. County Clerk is now a four-year term position, because state law has extended the term from two to four years.
Lewallen, 37, is a Fayetteville resident and a lifelong resident of Washington County. She is serving her third two-year term and has worked in the office for 16 years.
Lewallen said during the campaign she wants to continue to pursue new technology and look for new ways to improve efficiency in the office.
Lewallen bought electronic poll books during her first year in office in 2013. She recently bought a ballot-on-demand printing system. Also, the office recently switched to an electronic records filing system. Lawyers can file court documents online, which saves time and resources.
TREASURER
Washington County Treasurer Bobby Hill, the Republican incumbent, defeated Zane Chenault, a Democrat, in his race for a third term.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were:
Hill . . . . . . . . 36,460 (56%) Chenault . . . .28,421 (44%)
The Treasurer’s Office handles county revenue from local, state and federal agencies and distributes money to taxing entities including school districts. The office’s duties also include investing county money and estimating revenue for the Quorum Court’s budgeting process.
The county treasurer earns $103,531 annually, which is based on state law and Hill’s experience. Treasurer is now a four-year term position, because state law has extended the term from two to four years.
Hill, 51, has lived in Washington County for 24 years. He explained during the campaign the number one duty of the office is making sure the taxpayers’ money is safe and secure. Hill said he dedicated a computer to be used solely for banking. He said he teamed with the county’s Information Technology Department to amp up this security, and it cost taxpayers nothing.
Hill is finishing his second two-year term in office.
DISTRICT 1
Lance Johnson, a Republican business owner from Springdale, won the District 1 seat on the Washington County Quorum Court.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Johnson . . . . . . 4,011 (66%) Reed . . . . . . . . 2,030 (34%)
The district covers northwestern Washington County. Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum, the Republican incumbent, didn’t seek re-election.
Johnson, 72, has been observing the Quorum Court for about five years, starting when he served as chairman of the Washington County Republican Committee.
Johnson campaigned on priorities that included a competitive tax rate, growing the financial reserves and making sure the sheriff’s office and road department are adequately funded.
In general, Johnson has said he is against a sales tax or millage increase.
DISTRICT 2
Susan Cunningham, a Republican, defeated Margaret Lyndsey Strange for the District 2 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Cunningham . .2,324 (65%) Strange . . . . . . . 1,229 (35%)
The district encompasses much of southwest Springdale from Thompson Avenue to Tontitown.
Justice of the Peace Fred Rausch was appointed by the governor in July 2017 to fill the district’s seat vacated by Sharon Lloyd. He was not eligible to run for the position in this election.
Cunningham, 49, a homemaker, said she has always had a passion for volunteering in Springdale, where she has lived for
more than two decades.
Cunningham said before the election she would focus on finding solutions to crowding at the county jail. She described herself as fiscally conservative and would not support a tax increase.
DISTRICT 4
Democrat Judith Yanez defeated the Republican incumbent Bill Ussery to win the District 4 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Yanez . . . . . . . . . 654 (55%) Ussery . . . . . . . . 540 (45%)
District 4 encompasses northeast Springdale.
Yanez, a Democrat, did not return calls during the campaign.
DISTRICT 5
Patrick Deakins, a Republican, defeated Democrat Dana Reynolds for the District 5 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Deakins . . . . . . 1,761 (60%) Reynolds . . . . . 1,168 (40%)
Incumbent Joe Patterson, a Republican, is not seeking re-election.
The district covers the northeastern corner of the county.
Deakins,
32, has lived in Washington County, north of Sonora, for seven years. He is a certified public accountant at Reece Moore Pendergraft in Fayetteville, and vice chairman of the county Republican Committee.
Deakins said before the election there needs to be a serious conversation about what the county spends taxpayers’ money on. Increasing the sales tax and the property millage would be drastic, last resort measures, he said.
DISTRICT 6
Lisa Ecke, the Republican incumbent, defeated Jessica Stone to win a third term in the District 6 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Ecke. . . . . . . . . . 1,699 (52%) Stone . . . . . . . . 1,574 (48%)
The district encompasses southeast Springdale and a small part of northeast Fayetteville.
Ecke, 57, has been a Springdale resident since
2004 and is employed with Ecke Ventures food service in Springdale.
Ecke serves as chairwoman of the Quorum Court Personnel Committee.
Ecke said during the campaign that raising the sales tax might not be the right solution for the crowded county jail. She said the state should pay more to the county to house
its prisoners.
DISTRICT 7
Sam Duncan, a Republican, defeated Coy Bartlett, a Democrat, in the race for the District 7 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Duncan . . . . . . 3,028 (55%) Bartlett . . . . . . 2,488 (45%)
Justice of the Peace Alicia Deavers has been the district’s representative since being appointed by the governor in March 2017 to fill the vacant seat. She wasn’t eligible to run for the position.
District 7 wraps around Farmington from the north to the west and includes part of west Fayetteville along Wedington Avenue.
Duncan, 27, has lived in District 7 for one year and in Washington County for seven years. He is a national account manager for Saputo Specialty Cheese. He said during the campaign he opposes raising the property millage rate.
He said his priorities are ensuring low property tax rates, maintaining roads and infrastructure, budgeting to grow reserves, maximizing county assets and increasing economic development.
DISTRICT 10
Andrea Jenkins, a Democrat, defeated Robert Dennis, the incumbent Republican, for the District 10 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Jenkins 2,215 . . . . . . . (50%) Dennis 2,185 . . . . . . . (49%)
The district includes Farmington, rural areas around Farmington and Prairie Grove and some of the southwest corner of Fayetteville.
Jenkins, 40, a Democrat, is a Farmington resident and has lived in the district for 14 years. She is a teacher at Williams Elementary School in Farmington. She is an advocate for educators with the Arkansas Education Association.
Jenkins said before the election she would focus on roads, bridges, safety, agriculture and farm-to-market issues, and decreasing the jail population. She said she would also ensure the animal shelter is funded properly.
DISTRICT 12
Sue Madison, the incumbent and a Democrat, defeated Todd Crane, a Republican, for the District 12 justice of the peace seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Madison . . . . . . 3,305 (68%) Crane . . . . . . . . . . 1,550 (32%)
The district consists of south-southeast Fayetteville.
Madison, 70, has lived in the district since 1979. She manages her family’s real estate properties.
She said during the campaign she isn’t inclined to increase the sales tax or property tax.
She said the state needs to pay the county more to house its prisoners. She said there’s no question the crowded jail needs to expand.
DISTRICT 14
Ann Harbison, the incumbent and a Democrat, defeated Jim Wilson, a Republican, for the District 14 seat.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Harbison . . . . . . .2,418 (50%) Wilson . . . . . . . . 2,399 (49%)
District 14 encompasses a large swath of the south central part of the county.
Harbison,
76, a retired teacher, is a lifelong resident of the district. She said during the campaign she was seeking an eighth term because she wanted to be sure there were some experienced justices of the peace on the Quorum Court.
Harbison said she wants to make sure 40 percent of the county’s one-cent sales tax stays dedicated to the Road Department. She said she is not in in favor of a sales tax or millage increase.
DISTRICT 15
Butch Pond, the longest-serving member of the Washington County Quorum Court, was re-elected to his ninth term.
The complete but unofficial vote totals were: Pond . . . . . . . . . . .4,015 (64%) Childress . . . . . . .2,252 (36%)
District 15 is in eastern Washington County, which includes Goshen and Elkins.
Pond, 65, a Republican, has lived in Washington County his entire life, except for four years he served in the Navy. He has served as a justice of the peace since 2003.
Pond, a farmer, describes himself as a fiscal conservative but would support raising the property millage before cutting back on road maintenance. He is concerned about keeping pay rates competitive for county employees and that the budget reserve be used only to pay bond debt and as an emergency fund.