Candidates file for local offices

2020 election season comes early in Arkansas

ralphhardin@gmail.com While Democratic hopefuls have already been at it (and at each other) for months vying to be the nominee that will challenge President Donald Trump next November, here in Crittenden County (where there’s still one more special election to vote on in West Memphis), filing deadline for the 2020 preferential primary and judicial elections has already come and gone.

Why the early jump? It’s because the State of Arkansas will be one of the first states to hold its primary elections in 2020. Voters will head to the polls on March 3, 2020, as one of 14 states holding elections on what is commonly referred to as “Super Tuesday.”

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia will all hold their presidential primaries on that date, and with a crowded field of candidates, those primary results will likely make or break many candidates’ campaign prospects.

Here in Crittenden County, a number of candidates made the Nov. 11 filing deadline to get their names on the ballots.

Among those who have filed are: Crittenden County Quorum Court

• Vickie Miles-Robinson (Justice of the Peace, District 1)

• Albert Marconi (Justice of the Peace, District 2)

• Patsy Hull (Justice of the Peace, District 3)

• Stacy Allen (Justice of the Peace, District 4)

• Tyrone McWright (Justice of the Peace, District 5)

• Thomas Dill (Justice of the Peace, District 6)

• Ronald Marconi (Justice of the Peace, District 7)

• Vanessa Basemore (Justice of the Peace, District 8)

• Kenneth Cross (Justice of the Peace, District 9)

• James Fraley (Justice of the Peace, District 10)

• Leonard Swift (Justice of the Peace District 10)

• Lisa O’Neal (Justice of the Peace, District 11)

• John Rech (Justice of the Peace, District 12)

• Tamara Hood (Justice of the Peace, District 13)

• Gwendolyn Brown (Justice of the Peace, District 13) Township Constable

• Gary Kelley (Constable, Jasper Township) • Rodney Davis (Constable, Black Oak Township)

• Eddie West (Constable, Mississippi Township)

• Billy Thomen (Constable, Lucas Township) Marion School Board

• Gary Wehrum (Marion School Board, Zone 6) Of all of the filings, only two resulted in a contested race. In the Quorum Court District 10 race, incumbent Justice James Fraley and Leonard Swift will vie for that seat. And in the Quorum Court District 13 race, Tamara Hood will challenge incumbent Justice Gwendolyn Brown in that contest. With no other challengers, all other races will be uncontested.