Incumbent Republicans prevail in state races
Voters re-elected all of the incumbent Republican legislators who were on the ballot in Garland County on Tuesday, according to state and local returns.
In state Senate District 14, incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Sample defeated Democrat Michael Colgrove, 21,459 to 9,322, with nearly 70 percent of the vote, according to results posted on the Arkansas secretary of state’s website by Wednesday afternoon. The district includes parts of Garland and Saline counties.
In Garland County, Sample pulled around 67 percent of the vote, defeating Colgrove 15,316 to 7,516.
In House District 21, which includes
the northern half of Garland County, incumbent Republican Marcus E. Richmond, of Harvey, defeated Democrat Stele Wayne James, 6,690 to 1,820.
The district includes parts of Sebastian, Scott, Polk, Yell, Montgomery, Perry and Garland counties.
In Garland County, Richmond defeated James 465 to 128.
In House District 22, incumbent Republican Mickey Gates, who was charged earlier this year with six felony counts of nonpayment of taxes, defeated Democrat Kevin Rogers 8,147 to 4,309.
District 22 includes parts of Garland and Saline counties.
In Garland County, Gates defeated Rogers 5,491 to 3,091.
Gates told The Sentinel-Record on election night that he was “honored by the people’s confidence in me. I must say, you never know when you’re in a battle like I’ve been in how it’s going to go. You never know what people really think or what they really believe until the vote is tallied.”
Outlining the various ways the race could have gone, Gates noted he could lose, people would support him because they know him and believe in him, maybe they have a negative opinion of his opponent or “maybe they would rather have a tax dodger than a Democrat.”
In House District 24, incumbent Republican Bruce Cozart won with 6,241 votes, defeating Democrat Kallen K. Peret, with 2,822 votes, and Independent J. Kent Percefull, with 300 votes. District 24 includes only Garland County.
In House District 26, incumbent Republican Laurie Rushing defeated Democrat Alan Bruce Hughes, 5,040 to 3,220. The district includes parts of Garland and Hot Spring counties.
In Garland County, Rushing drew 1,292 votes to Hughes’ 582.
A Hot Spring County circuit judge ruled last Friday that votes cast for Rushing would be counted in Tuesday’s general election and dismissed a lawsuit brought by five Hot Spring and Garland county voters who alleged Rushing was in violation of the state Constitution’s residency requirement for Arkansas House members.