State certifies results from May’s primary
18.76 percent of voters cast ballots
Secretary of State Mark Martin on Tuesday afternoon certified the results of the May primary election in which 18.76 percent of the state’s registered voters cast ballots.
According to the secretary of state’s website, 327,629 of the state’s 1,746,568 registered voters cast ballots in the primary and nonpartisan judicial election on May 22.
The 18.76 percent turnout in this midterm primary election compares to a 21.32 percent turnout in 2014, 29.18 percent in 2010 and 21.71 percent in 2006, according to the secretary of state’s office. In presidential election years, the primary turnout was 38.39 percent in 2016, 21.83 percent in 2012 and 18 percent in 2008.
Martin’s certification of the primary election results on Tuesday came after each county’s board of election commissioners certified their primary election results. The county boards are required to certify the results within 10 days after the primary election under state law.
In the Democratic primary in central Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District, the certified results are as follows: Clarke Tucker, 23,325 Gwen Combs, 8,188 Paul J. Spencer 5,063 Jonathan Dunkley 3,768 Tucker of Little Rock will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock in the Nov. 6 general election. Libertarian candidate Joe Swafford of Maumelle also is seeking the congressional seat.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack tallied 47,757 votes, outdistancing Robb Ryerse’s 8,988 votes in the Republican primary in Northwest Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District, the secretary of state’s office reported.
In the general election, Womack of Rogers faces Democrat Josh Mahony of Fayetteville and Libertarian candidate Michael Kalagias of Rogers.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman garnered 40,201 votes to beat Randy Caldwell’s 10,151 in the GOP primary in southern and western Arkansas’ 4th Congressional District, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Westerman of Hot Springs is being challenged by Democrat Hayden Shamel of Hot Springs and Libertarian candidate Tom Canada of Scranton in the general election.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Rogers beat Jan Morgan of Hot Springs by a margin of 143,648 to 62,757 in the Republican gubernatorial primary, according to the secretary of state’s office.
In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Jared Henderson of Little Rock defeated Leticia Sanders of Maumelle by 67,046 votes to 38,873, the certified results show.
Libertarian candidate Mark West of Batesville and Henderson will seek to oust Hutchinson in the Nov. 6 general election.
In the Republican primary for secretary of state, Land Commissioner John Thurston of East End bested state Rep. Trevor Drown of Dover by 100,794 to 90,927, the secretary of state’s office reported.
Democrat Susan Inman of Little Rock and Libertarian candidate Christopher Olson of Viola will duel with Thurston in the general election to succeed the term-limited Martin.
In the nonpartisan election for Position 3 on the state Supreme Court, Justice Courtney Goodson tallied 113,825 votes, compared to Department of Human Services legal counsel David Sterling’s 104,817 and Court of Appeals Judge Kenneth Hixson’s 87,948.
Goodson of Fayetteville and Sterling of Little Rock advanced to the Nov. 6 judicial runoff election.
In the nonpartisan election for District 2, Position 1, on the state Court of Appeals, Appeals Judge Bart Viden tallied 31,514 votes and bested District Judge Johnnie Copeland’s 28,155.