Jonesboro incumbent Mayor Harold Perrin avoids runoff; Craighead County Judge Ed Hill wins fourth term

Harold Perrin will remain Jonesboro’s chief administrator. The two-term incumbent defeated five challengers Tuesday night, and avoided a runoff by beating his next closest opponent by more than 20 percentage points.

Perrin received 49% (11,465) of the 23,407 votes cast during Tuesday’s general election. Harold Copenhaver, a former state representative, garnered 24% (5,673) of votes cast.

“I want to thank the voters for their support. We appreciate the support we received,” Perrin told Talk Business & Politics.

Copenhaver also thanked his supporters for a strong turnout.

Alderman John Street received 13% (3,135) of votes cast, while police officer Nathan Coleman tallied 8% (1,830) of the vote. Small businesswoman  Amanda Dunavant 4% (839), and small businessman Tom Elwood garnered 2% (465) of votes cast.

Craighead County Judge Ed Hill narrowly defeated opponent Jeff Presley, R-Jonesboro in a hotly contested race. Hill received 51% (17,570) of the 34,807 votes cast. Presley finished with 49% (17,237).

Hill said his main priority will be to turn Bono Lake into a recreational spot, just as voters intended when they enacted a sales tax to pay for it. He will also continue to improve the county’s road systems, he said.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support I’ve received through the six years I’ve been the county judge,” Hill said.

Presley accepted the defeat.

“I’m a Christian and a conservative … it’s been a teamwork approach,” Presley told Talk Business & Politics. “I’m thankful for the work done by my family, friends, and volunteers. I most especially want to thank the voters.”

Craighead County had a record number of voters cast ballots during this election cycle. At least 35,781 cast ballots, about 59% of registered voters in the county, Craighead County Clerk Kade Holliday said. Lines at the ballot box were relatively swift during on Tuesday, he said. The longest wait times averaged about 15 minutes, and there were no noteworthy problems, he said.

The relatively swift lines may have been the byproduct of higher numbers of early voter in the county. At least 22,355 votes were cast in early voting, about 37% of registered voters, according to the county.

In Lawrence County, slight problems were reported with voting machines, but no votes were changed or unaccounted for because of the issue, Lawrence County Clerk Tina Stowers told Talk Business & Politics. One or two of the voting machines at the courthouse would restart if brushed or touched, she said.

It happened a couple of times, and voters caught it in each instance, she said. The machines had to be recalibrated by poll officials, and those voters were then allowed to cast their ballots, she said. Lawrence County had a record number 5,696 cast ballots in the Tuesday general election, more than 55% of registered voters, according to the county.