GOP gains 101 seats since 2014 statewide, but Democrats still hold more county offices

The Republican Party of Arkansas now controls almost 39% of the state’s partisan elected offices after gaining 101 seats at the state legislative and county levels since the 2014 elections.

Doyle Webb, RPA chairman, said the party controlled 11% of partisan offices in 2010, a number that rose to 32% in 2014.

Webb said Republicans have increased their number of partisan elected officials by 101 since 2014, from 475 to 576 of the 1,483 partisan offices at the county level and higher. Those figures do not include surveyors and constables and also take into account that the sheriff and collector and the county clerk and circuit clerk are combined in some counties.

Republicans control all six of the state’s congressional seats and all seven statewide offices. On Nov. 8, the party gained two seats in the state Senate to increase its majority to 26. In the House, the number of Republicans increased to 74, counting one party-switcher. Previously it had been 62, along with two Republican-held seats left briefly vacant because the occupants had taken jobs with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s administration. In the 135-member Legislature, Republicans now occupy 100 seats while Democrats occupy 35. In 2008, Democrats controlled 102 of the 135 seats.

At the county level, Webb said Republicans increased by:

– Seven county judges to reach 25 of 75;
– Nine sheriffs to reach 21, with another candidate in a runoff in Hot Spring County facing an independent;
– Four county clerks to reach 24;
– Six circuit clerks to reach 23;
– Seven treasurers to reach 25;
– Two assessors to reach 18;
– Five collectors to reach 14;
– One coroner to reach 13.

The party also increased its number of justices of the peace from 248 to 295 and increased the number of quorum courts in which it has a majority to 22. It previously had majorities in 19 quorum courts in 2014 and seven in 2008.

Webb said the party has been increasing its numbers every year since 2008 and expects to increase again in 2018. He noted the Republican pickup in the Washington County county judge’s race was Joseph Wood, who is African-American.

He said the party is taking longer to make gains in county-level seats because officials at that level are not term-limited.

“Sometimes it takes a longer time for people to cycle out of office at the county level, but we’re pleased with how they are being replaced with conservative Republicans at that level,” he said.

H.L. Moody, Democratic Party of Arkansas communications director, said before the election that the areas where Democrats lead in county offices coincide with strong party organizations in those counties.

He said the DPA has been adding resources to its county structures. County candidates pay their filing fees to the county parties, which support them in return.

“Another thing, I suppose, is that it’s easier for Democrats to run at the county level because a lot of the most divisive issues don’t really trickle down to the county level,” he said. “Those folks get to talk about clean drinking water and roads and infrastructure and things like that, which don’t tend to get too testy.”