2020 election season comes early in Arkansas

Primary, Judicial Elections set for March 3 By Ralph Hardin

ralphhardin@gmail.com

In case you’ve somehow missed it, it’s already Election Season.

In 2020, there are a number of local and state races for voters to weigh in on in addition to the Presidential Election this November, but before that, there is a vote coming up in just a few weeks.

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, 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, the preferential primary election will give party members a chance to decide who represents them on the ballot in November.

Vying for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President are no less than 18 candidates for Arkansas voters to choose from. While many of these hopefuls are not nationally- known candidates and some who will appear on the ballot have officially dropped out of the race since the filing deadline late last year, here are the candidates (in ballot order): U.S. President (Democratic Party)

• Andrew Yang

• Kamala Harris

• Elizabeth Warren

• Tom Steyer

• Tulsi Gabbard

• Julian Castro

• Steve Bullock

• Joseph R. Biden

• Michael Bennet

• Mosie Boyd

• Michael R.

Bloomberg

• Cory Booker

• Marianne Williamson • Joe Sestak

• Pete Buttigieg

• John K. Delaney

• Bernie Sanders

• Amy Klobuchar Also appearing on the ballot in the Democratic Primary are a number of unopposed candidates: • Rep. Milton Nicks Jr. (State Representative District 50)

• Rep. Deborah Ferguson (State Representative District 51)

• Rep. Monte Hodges (State Representative District 55)

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

• Patsy A. Hull (Justice of the Peace District 3)

• Stacy Allen (Justice of the Peace District 4)

• Tyrone McWright (Justice of the Peace District 5)

• Thomas A. Dill (Justice of the Peace District 6)

• Ronnie Marconi (Justice of the Peace District 7)

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

• Lisa Vickers O’Neal (Justice of the Peace District 11) A number of seats on the Quorum Court will have contested races.

The following candidates for those seats are (in ballot position order):

• Justice of the Peace District 8 Venessa Basemore Joe Marotti

• Justice of the Peace District 10 Leonard Terrell Swift James D. Fraley

• Justice of the Peace, District 13 Gwendolyn Brown Tamara Hood There are no contested races in the Constable races. The unopposed candidates are:

• Rodney Davis, Constable, Black Oak Township

• Michael Ray Bass, Constable, Proctor Township

• Chief Billy Thomen, Constable, Lucas Township • Eddie C. West, Constable, Mississippi Township

• Gary Ray Kelley, Constable, Jasper Township In the Republican Primary, despite being the incumbent, President Donald Trump will have a pair of opponents in the primary elections. Republican Presidential candidates are (in ballot position order): U.S. President, Republican Party:

• Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente

• Bill Weld

• Donald J. Trump Also appearing on the ballot in the Republican Primary are a number of unopposed candidates: • Congressman Rick Crawford (U. S. Congress District 1)

• Senator Tom Cotton (U.S. Senate, Arkansas)

• Gary Tobar (State Representative District 55)

• Rev. John L. Rech Jr. (Justice of the Peace District 12) Regardless of which party’s primary voters choose to participate in, one seat on the Marion School Board will be up for grabs, although that race is uncontested:

• Gary Wehrum (Marion School Board, Zone 6) In addition to the preferential primary, voters will also make their choices in the non-partisan judicial elections (candidates appear in ballot position order): State Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 4

• Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch

• Barbara Womack Webb Circuit Judge, District 02, Division 07, At Large

• R. Scott Troutt

• Mary Lile Broadaway Circuit Judge, District 2, Division 12

• Scott Willhite

• Scott Ellington Circuit Judge, District 02, Division 05, At Large

• Tom Young Nonpartisan • Skip Mooney Jr.

Circuit Judge, District 02, Division 08, Subdistrict 2.2

• Matthew Coe

• Kimberly Boling Bibb The Crittenden County Election Commission is sending out the call for election poll workers. As part of the process, the commission will be training poll workers at the 7th Street Church of Christ in West Memphis in a pair of upcoming training sessions.

The dates and times are: Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 1:30 p.m., and Thursday, Jan 30, at 9 a.m.

To be a poll worker in 2020 you need to attend one of these classes.

The primary and judicial elections will be held on Tuesday, March. There will be a period of early and absentee voting leading up to Election Day. Times and dates will be announced once they are released by the Crittenden County Election Commission.

The National Election Day 2020 is Tuesday, Nov. 3.