Three County Contests Top November Ballot

RACES FOR JUDGE, SHERIFF, ASSESSOR, JPS FILL BALLOT

The filings for public office that ended recently left Washington County with three county-wide races for the November General Election.

Races have developed along party lines for county judge and sheriff for the Nov. 4 General Election ballot. There is a GOP race for tax assessor in May.

County-wide offices with no opposition for the 2014 cycle include: Republicans: Bobby Hill of Elkins for county treasurer, Kyle Sylvester of Johnson for circuit clerk, Becky Llewellyn of Elkins for county and probate clerk and David Ruff of Springdale for tax collector. Democrat Roger Morris of Fayetteville was not opposed in his re- election bid as county coroner.

Also on tap for the November ballot will be six Justice of the Peace positions (out of 15 on the court) and two county constable spots.

In a race-by-race breakdown:

County Judge: Democratic incumbent Marilyn Edwards of Fayetteville, seeking her fourth term as county judge, against current tax assessor and Republican Jeff Williams of Springdale for the county administrator’s post of county judge.

County Sheriff: Incumbent Democratic Sheriff Tim Helder of West Fork will be challenged by Republican candidate Mort Marshall of Farmington in the election.

Tax Assessor: In this “open seat” due to Republican Jeff Williams vacating the tax assessor’s seat, a GOP primary race has developed. Joshua Leon Crawford of Fayetteville will face Russell Hill of Springdale in the May 20 GOP Preferential Primary. There is no Democratic in this election cycle.

The six Justice of the Peace seats up for grabs in the November election are:

Justice of the Peace District 4: Incumbent JP Bill Ussery of Springdale will face Democratic challenger Yessie Hernandez, also of Springdale, on the November ballot.

Justice of the Peace District 7: Incumbent Republican JP Rick Cochran of Fayetteville will face James Maynard of Farmington in the May 20 GOP Preferential Primary. The winner will advance to face Democratic challenger Kendra Boyd of Farmington

in the November election.

Justice of the Peace District

8: This is an “open seat” previously held by Democratic JP Barbara Fitzpatrick who did not seek re-election. The Democratic candidate for the post is Daniel Balls of Fayetteville. The Republican seeking the position is Armistead Freeman of Fayetteville.

Justice of the Peace District 10: This is another “open seat” on the Washington County Quorum Court. Republican JP Mary Ann Spears of Farmington, resigned last year due to being selected the Lincoln School District Superintendent. Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Democrat Diane Bryant of Farmington to fill Spears’ unexpired term. Under state law, Bryant cannot succeed herself in that position. Democrat James Miller of Farmington will face in November the winner of the May 20 GOP primary between, Robert Dennis of Farmington, who has a Prairie Grove address, and Pedro R. Fimbres of Fayetteville.

Justice of the Peace District 13: This is an “open seat” as Republican Ron Amon of Prairie Grove did not seek re-election. Democrat challenger Rhonda Hulse of Lincoln will face Republican Joel Maxwell of Summers in November.

Justice of the Peace District 14: Democratic incumbent JP Ann Harbison of West Fork will face a challenge from Republican candidate Jim Renfro of Greenland in the November General Election. In Remembrance: Washington County elected officials and folks who worked the polls since the mid 1980s were shocked last week at the sudden and unexpected death of John Logan Burrow. An attorney, Burrow was the chairman of the Washington County Election Commission since 1995 and an advocate for fair and impartial elections.

He will be missed.