Several House, Senate races go uncontested

Four of the nine Arkansas Senate districts that cover the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas areas will be uncontested in the May primary election, and six will be uncontested in the general election.

Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, is uncontested in his bid for the Senate District 4 seat — which represents the Fayetteville area and parts of Washington County — is likely to be the only Democrat from Northwest Arkansas in the Arkansas Senate when January 2013 rolls around.

“I am honored and pleased and humbled that I am now going to represent the good people of Fayetteville and Washington County in Senate District 4,” Lindsey said Thursday after the statewide filing period ended at noon.

Lindsey said any politician is “always nervous and apprehensive that someone might file” against them. But when noon Thursday ended with no opposition, Lindsey was relieved.

“The only way to run is very scared, and opposed if you can,” Lindsey joked.

Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, also finds himself without a primary or general election challenger.

“I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to serve again and am looking forward to stepping up and doing more in leadership positions in the next session,” Files said.

Following is the list of Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas area Senate districts in which only one candidate filed. (See a complete list of Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas area House and Senate district filings at the end of this story.)
• Senate District 2 (parts of Benton and Washington Counties):
Jim Hendren, Republican

• Senate District 3 (part of Benton County):
Sen. Cecile Bledsoe, Republican

• Senate District 4 (part of Washington County):
Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, Democrat

• Senate District 8 (Sebastian County-Fort Smith):
Sen. Jake Files, Republican

HOUSE RACES
Of the 23 Arkansas House districts that cover the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas areas, eight will be uncontested in the primary and 11 uncontested in the general election.

Political newcomer and Democrat George McGill will not have an opponent in the primary or general election for the House District 78 seat. The district represents the northern part of Fort Smith, which has been a Democratic island in the conservative Fort Smith area.

In Crawford County, Rep. Gary Deffenbaugh, R-Alma, did not draw a primary or general election opponent in his bid for a second term.

Rep. Johnathan Barnett, R-Siloam Springs, and a former Arkansas Highway Commissioner, will sail to re-election in House District 87 (parts of Benton and Washington Counties).

With no opponents filing, Rep. Duncan Baird, R-Lowell, also is guaranteed re-election in House District 96 (part of Benton and Carroll Counties).

ELECTION SHIFT?
Much has been made this year — especially by the Arkansas GOP — of a possible historic shift in control of the Arkansas House and, possibly, the Arkansas Senate. The Democratic Party, which has dominated the legislature since the Reconstruction era, currently holds a 54-46 edge in the House and a 20-15 advantage in the Senate.

The talk of political control has some Arkansas political watchers wondering if Little Rock will succumb to the partisan wrangling that has resulted in dysfunction in Washington, D.C.

“Arkansas is a state that prides itself on its bipartisanship,” Lindsey said when asked about future political problems in the Arkansas Legislature. “I believe that good government is open and debate is not to be shut up. … A good debate between parties is healthy as long as it’s done with civility and with the best interests of Arkansas at heart.”

Lindsey said Arkansans receive a “better package” of representation with two “healthy parties working together with rational responses (and) without rancor and gotcha politics.”

Files doesn’t necessarily accept the theory that a fight for political control of the Arkansas Legislature will result in partisan rancor.

“That makes for good press, but on the Senate end at least, I don’t see that,” Files said. “We have a lot of good folks down there who may disagree, but they don’t fight about it.”

FILINGS
Senate Districts in the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas areas
Senate District 1 (part of Benton County):
Rep. Tim Summers, Republican
Bart Hester, Republican

Senate District 2 (parts of Benton and Washington Counties):
Jim Hendren, Republican

Senate District 3 (part of Benton County):
Sen. Cecile Bledsoe, Republican

Senate District 4 (part of Washington County):
Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, Democrat

Senate District 5 (parts of Crawford, Madison and Washington Counties):
Rep. Bryan King, Republican
Bill Coleman, Republican

Senate District 6 (parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Yell Counties):
John Paul Wells, Democrat
Rep. Gary Stubblefield, Republican

Senate District 7 (part of Washington County):
Rep. Jon Woods, Republican
Sen. Bill Pritchard, Republican
Diana Gonzales Worthen, Democrat

Senate District 8 (Sebastian County-Fort Smith):
Sen. Jake Files, Republican

Senate District 9 (parts of Crawford, Scott and Sebastian Counties):
Rick Green, Republican
Sen. Bruce Holland, Republican
Rep. Tracy Pennartz, Democrat

House Districts in the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas areas
House District 21 (parts of Garland, Montgomery, Perry, Polk, Sebastian, Scott and Yell counties)
Rep. Terry Rice, Republican

House District 74 (parts of Logan, Scott and Sebastian Counties):
Rep. Jon Eubanks, Republican
Daniel Wall, Democrat

House District 75 (parts of Crawford and Sebastian Counties):
Steven Breedlove, Democrat
Charlotte Douglas, Republican

House District 76 (part of Sebastian County):
Rep. Denny Altes, Republican
Mat Pitsch, Republican

House District 77 (part of Sebastian County):
Rep. Stephanie Malone, Republican
Doris Tate, Democrat

House District 78 (part of Sebastian County):
George McGill, Democrat

House District 79 (part of Crawford County):
Rep. Gary Deffenbaugh, Republican

House District 80 (parts of Crawford and Washington Counties):
Terry Bibbs, Republican
Charlene Fite, Republican
Jack Norton, Democrat

House District 81 (parts of Crawford and Washington Counties):
Wolf Grulkey, Democrat
Rep. Justin Harris, Republican
Lisa France Norris, Republican

House District 82 (parts of Franklin, Logan and Madison Counties):
Bill Gossage, Republican
Rep. Leslee Milam Post, Democrat

House District 84 (part of Washington County):
Rep. Charlie Collins, Republican
Adella Gray, Democrat

House District 85 (part of Washington County):
Paul Graham, Republican
Maylon Rice, Democrat
David Whitaker, Democrat

House District 86 (part of Washington County):
Rep. Greg Leding, Democrat
Brian Scott, Republican

House District 87 (parts of Benton and Washington Counties):
Rep. Johnathan Barnett, Republican

House District 88 (part of Washington County):
Randy Alexander, Republican
Edwin Sugg, Democrat

House District 89 (part of Washington County):
Yessie Hernandez, Democrat
Micah Neal, Republican

House District 90 (part of Benton County):
Rep. Les Carmine

House District 91 (part of Benton County):
Dan Douglas, Republican

House District 92 (part of Benton County):
Jim Parsons, Republican
Rep. Mary Lou Slinkard, Republican

House District 93 (part of Benton County):
Jim Dotson, Republican
Duane Neal, Republican

House District 94 (part of Benton County):
Rep. Debra Hobbs, Republican

House District 95 (part of Benton County):
Sue Scott, Republican

House District 96 (part of Benton and Carroll Counties):
Rep. Duncan Baird, Republican

House District 97 (part of Carroll and Washington Counties):
Bob Ballinger, Republican
Robert Berry, Democrat
Jeremy Miller, Republican