Republicans Pick Up County Seats, But Democrats Score Victories Too

There was a lot of applause Tuesday night coming from a conference room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Jonesboro.

The applause – from Craighead County Republicans – marked a seminal moment in the history of politics in Northeast Arkansas, officials in both parties said Wednesday.

Republicans won several county races in Northeast Arkansas Tuesday, ranging from three countywide races each in Craighead and Greene counties.

In Craighead County, County Clerk Kade Holliday won re-election, getting 17,644 votes against Democrat Nancy Robbins, who had 7,279. Republicans Candace Edwards and Hannah Holloway-Towell won their races for circuit clerk and assessor, respectively.

Republicans also won the county judge, county clerk and sheriff’s races in Greene County. In unofficial numbers, Republican Rusty McMillon defeated Democrat Jerry Shipman for county judge by a nearly three-to-one margin, while Republican Phyllis Rhynes defeated Democrat Dana Bradford by 537 votes.

Republican David Carter also defeated longtime Greene County Sheriff Dan Langston by 627 votes.

Republicans also picked up majorities on their county’s Quorum Court. They will have a 7-6 majority on the Craighead County Quorum Court, and a 6-5 majority on the Greene County Quorum Court.

Meanwhile, several Democrats also won county races Tuesday.

DEMOCRATS HOLD
Craighead County Judge Ed Hill, D-Jonesboro, defeated Republican Wes Ward of Lake City by around 3,400 votes, while Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd, D-Jonesboro, defeated Republican Larry Kelley of Jonesboro by over a two-to-one margin.

Also, Democrat Donnie Sanders defeated incumbent Republican Jack Caubble by a 3,145 to 2,117 margin in the Cross County Judge’s race.

Hill said Tuesday’s results were difficult for his party, but noted people in his county have worked together on difficult issues in the past.

“We are here to serve the people and it is not toxic on the local level,” Hill said, comparing his counties to the battles in Congress.

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, who won re-election Tuesday over Democrat Jackie McPherson, credited people like Woody Freeman, Warren Dupwe and Billie Sue Hoggard for the Republican party’s growth in Northeast Arkansas.

Freeman and Dupwe, who both ran for office and lost, helped to lay the groundwork for candidates like Hoggard, Crawford said.

“This did not happen overnight. It was done brick-by-brick. Candidate recruitment has been key. It was difficult at one time (to run as a Republican) because you had to have to run as a Democrat. But those days are over,” Crawford said.