Arkansas County Officials Prepare For Runoff Elections

By Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate

November 23, 2022

Election season is still underway in Arkansas with more than half of the state’s 75 counties preparing for runoff elections on Dec. 6. Early voting begins Nov. 29.

Benton County has eight runoff elections scheduled, the most of any county, followed by Phillips County with six contests. Phillips County has struggled to report its election results to the state. Counties have 15 days after the General Election to certify their results to the Secretary of State. This year’s deadline is today, Nov. 23.

There are no runoff elections for state or federal offices in Arkansas. County and municipal races result in a runoff whenever there are more than two candidates and no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, according to state law.

The two candidates with the highest number of votes will compete in the runoff. If the two candidates tie in a runoff, the county board will determine the winner by lot at a public meeting.

To avoid a runoff, a candidate who receives 40% of the votes cast must obtain at least 20% more than the second-place candidate. Municipal officers do not include officers of cities that have a city manager form of government, so those races are not subject to the state’s runoff regulations.

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Below is a list of runoff elections in Arkansas. For questions about elections in your county, including polling locations, contact your county clerk.

Baxter County

Big Flat Mayor — Mayor Glenda Wiseman, Charles Schmidt

Benton County

Bella Vista Mayor — Council Member John Flynn, Randy Murray

Bella Vista Council Member Ward 1 Position 2 — Wendy Hughes, Donna Hutchinson

Bella Vista Council Member Ward 2 Position 2 — Council Member Larry Wilms, Wynn Peterson

Bella Vista Council Member Ward 3 Position 2 — Craig Honchell, Julie Yandell

Bentonville School Board Zone 3 — Jeremy Farmer, Blanca Maldonado

Bentonville School Board Zone 5 — Tatum Aicklen, Letisha Hinds

Rogers Council Member Ward 3 Position 1 — Council Member Clay Kendall, Rachel Crawford

Springdale Council Member Ward 3 Position 1 — Council Member Brian Powell, Alice Gachuzo-Colin

Bradley County

Hermitage Mayor — Mayor Tonya Kendrix, Matthew Cathey

Chicot County

Dermott Mayor — Clinton Hampton Sr., Walter Jordan Jr.

Dermott City Council Ward 1 Position 2 — Tonya Allen, Keuntae Evans

Dermott City Council Ward 3 Position 1 — Luncan Hargraves Sr., Virgil Jordan

Cleburne County

Fairfield Bay Mayor — Daniel Feuer, Jackie Sikes

Craighead County

Bay Mayor — Sandi Griffin, Paul Keith

Jonesboro Ward 1 Position 1 — Guy Pardew Jr., Janice Porter

Jonesboro Ward 6 Position 1 — Anthony Coleman, Larry Hagar

Crawford County

Alma Mayor — Jimmy Fincher, Council Member Eddie Wakefield

Cedarville School Board Zone 4 — Jeff Clayborn, Nathan Butler

Dyer Ward 3 Position 1 — Council Member Katherine Fry, Cynthia Looney

Crittenden County

Earle Mayor — Nemi Matthews Sr., Jaylen Smith

Edmonson Mayor — Colt Boyd, Sidney Thomas Prackett

Marion Ward 3 Position 2 — Council Member Sherry Holliman, Ray Nassar

West Memphis Ward 5 Position 1 — Council Member Helen Harris, Joyce Gray

Cross County

Parkin Mayor — Mayor Diane Patterson, Sherry Gillon

Parkin City Council Ward 1 Position 2 — Council Member David Hickman, Janice Rena McCoy

Desha County

Dumas Alderman Ward 3 Position 2 — Council Member Tironeka Brown, Ross Wayne Martin

Drew County

Drew County Sheriff — Tim Nichols, James Slaughter

Grant County

Sheridan Mayor — Cain Nattin, Justin Wise

Greene County

Marmaduke Mayor — Jerrimy Farmer, Ronnie Floyd

Jackson County

Swifton Mayor — Council Member Noel Adams, Charles Dukes

Johnson County

Clarksville Ward 2 Position 2 — Council Member Judy Weaver, Patrick ‘Slick’ Baker

Lafayette County (according to unofficial results)

Justice of the Peace District 2 — Linda Sparrow, Dan Wilson

Stamps Mayor — Mayor Brenda Davis, Stacie Mitchell-Gweah

Lawrence County

Lynn Mayor — Van Doyle, Brenda Voyles

Hoxie Alderman Ward 2 Position 1 — Larry Couch, Geneva Waldrupe

Lee County

Marianna Mayor — DJ McMickle, Ora Stevens

Lonoke County

Lonoke Mayor — Mayor Trae Reed, Wayne McGee

Cabot School Board Zone 5 — Board Member Marvin Jones, Lia Bell

Marion County

Bull Shoals Mayor — Mayor David Nixon, Michael Savu

Mississippi County

Blytheville City Council Ward 1 Position 2 — Jacquin Benson Jr., Tony Emmert

Gosnell City Council Ward 3 Position 1 — Dal Freeman, Katie Walker

Osceola City Council Ward 1 Position 1 — Council Member Stanley Williams, Donnie Ray Pugh

Osceola City Council Ward 2 Position 1 — Chris Fox, Joe Guy

Monroe County

Brinkley Mayor — Oscar Conyears, Billy Hankins

Brinkley Alderman Ward 1 Position 1 — Scott Schindler, Darren Sloate

Montgomery County

Justice of the Peace District 2 — JP Mike Dobbs, Tommy Beshears

Mt. Ida Mayor — Vann Morgan, Joan Whisenhunt

Ouachita County (according to unofficial results)

Camden Mayor — Mayor Julian Lott, Charlotte Young

Ouachita County Assessor — Tonya McKenzie, Stephanie Olds

Phillips County

Elaine Mayor — Mayor Michael Cravens, Lisa Hicks-Gilbert

Helena-West Helena Mayor — Mayor Kevin Smith, Council Member Christopher Franklin

Helena-West Helena Alderman Ward 1 Position 2 At Large — Council Member Wanda Crockett, Kyle Miller

Helena-West Helena Alderman Ward 2 Position 2 At Large — Mary Ann Hargraves, Latoya Harris

Helena-West Helena School Board District 2 Zone 5 — Board Member Sanetta Davis, Rhonda Reed

Helena-West Helena School Board District 2 Zone 7 At Large — Michael Richmond, Linda Whitfield

Poinsett County

Willis Mayor — Shane Blagg, Jay Paul Woods

Pope County

Pottsville Alderman Ward 2 Position 1 — Sheila Hunt, Pamela Scarber

Pulaski County

Alexander Mayor — Mayor Paul Mitchell, Crystal Herrmann

Jacksonville Mayor — Mayor Bob Johnson, Jeff Elmore

Sherwood Mayor — Mayor Virginia Hillman Young, Council Member Mary Jo Heye-Townsell

Wrightsville Mayor — Mayor Allan Clarence Loring, Derrick Rainey

Randolph County

County Judge — Randy Barber, Ben Wicker

Pocahontas School Board Zone 3 — Jennifer Edward-Rawls, James Sullivan

Reyno Ward 1 Position 2 — Council Member David Byers, Baxter Meeks

Saline County

Alexander Mayor — Mayor Paul Mitchell, Crystal Herrmann

Scott County

County Sheriff & Collector — Sheriff Randy Shores, Clint McPherson

Searcy County

Leslie Alderman Ward 1 Position 1 — Council Member Sonja Owens, Hayden Shelby

St. Francis County

Forrest City Mayor — Mayor Cedric Williams, Larry Bryant

Union County

Mayor of Felsenthal — Mayor Linda Newbury, Theresa Howard

Van Buren County

Fairfield Bay Mayor — Daniel Feuer, Jackie Sikes

Washington County

Farmington Mayor — Mayor Ernie Penn, Council Member Diane Bryant

Springdale Council Member Ward 3 Position 1 — Council Member Brian Powell, Alice Gachuzo-Colin

White County

Kensett Mayor — Mayor Alan Edge, Max McDonald

Searcy Mayor — Mayor Kyle Osborne, Mat Faulkner

Woodruff County

Augusta Alderman Ward 1 Position 2 — Council Member Amanda Hanna, Brandon Taylor

McCrory Mayor — James Jackson, Thomas Kendrick

Yell County

Plainview Mayor — Vicki Buckman, Caleb Lisenbey

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The Arkansas Advocate is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to tough, fair daily reporting and investigative journalism that holds public officials accountable and focuses on the relationship between the lives of Arkansans and public policy. This service is free to readers and other news outlets.