Fort Smith attorney enters county judge race with purpose to ‘defeat Ken Blevins’

Fort Smith attorney and Democrat Mosie Boyd has announced her candidacy for Sebastian County Judge, telling Talk Business & Politics defeating Democratic candidate and former Republican Circuit Clerk Ken Blevins before he has a chance at the November general election is her central focus.

“I’m running to defeat Ken Blevins in the Democratic primary on May 22, 2018,” Boyd wrote in an email to Talk Business & Politics on Thursday (March 1), the last day of the filing period and the day Boyd officially filed.

The race for County Judge will find incumbent and Republican County Judge David Hudson vying for another term in a position he has held since 1998. Until mid-morning on March 1, Blevins was his sole challenger. Blevins told Talk Business & Politics in a recent interview he wanted to “drain the Sebastian County swamp” and accused Hudson of “raping” his career when he served as Circuit Clerk.

Blevins blames Hudson for being behind the multiple accusations of sexual harassment that were made against him in 2011. The charges resulted in Blevins filing a lawsuit against Hudson, which he would eventually lose at the Arkansas Supreme Court in April of 2016. Hudson has refused to comment further on Blevins’ accusations.

Boyd said there is some disagreement as to if her sole purpose is defeat Blevins, or to defeat Blevins and also make a spirited run for the top spot if she wins the primary.

“When the focus of this campaign was on doing what’s right for our community, this project was fun — for about the first three days,” Boyd said. “Then factions started pulling on me like a rope in a game of tug of war. Now, some individuals say they won’t support me unless I sign a statement committing to run through November, and others say they won’t support me unless I commit to withdrawing after the primary. Already, one prospective supporter promised to contribute $100 towards the filing fee and then backed out at the last minute.”

As a result of what Boyd calls a “petty conflict,” she could be running and funding the campaign on her own.

“If that happens, Ken Blevins could win the Democratic primary … which would be a disaster for local Democrats and our entire community. Ken Blevins surprised this community by winning a county-wide election once before. He obviously knows how to campaign effectively, and individuals have already confirmed that he and his mother are actively campaigning to get him elected.”

Talk Business & Politics has reached out to Blevins for comment and will update this story when/if he responds.

The county judge position is responsible for administration of county government through finance, human resources, information systems, purchasing, emergency management, and facilities maintenance.

Boyd urged voters to set aside differences and focus on the community.

“We need to run an effective campaign. As all effective campaigns do, it is going to require contributions to pay for reaching out to voters to inform them about what’s at issue in this race. If it’s God’s will, we will defeat Ken Blevins on May 22, 2018. That would be the time to decide what would be best for our community at that point.”

In a Thursday press release, the True Grit Law Firm founder announced her intention to run, focusing entirely on Blevins. “Times up, Ken Blevins,” Boyd said, repeating the name of her website. “I stand with county employees who accused former Republican Circuit Court Clerk Ken Blevins of sexual harassment and wrongful termination, and with those who held him accountable.”

Boyd continued: “Our community is a wonderful place to live and work. We have great things going on in downtown Fort Smith. Chaffee Crossing and the new medical school are blessings to our entire region. Our scenic rural areas are God’s country. We don’t need a distraction like Ken Blevins. The primary election is May 22, 2018.  Let’s defeat him then, so we don’t have to hear about him — or hear from him — all the way through November.”

Boyd has served as Chair of the Sebastian County Democratic Party, helping to “rebuild the party,” she said, adding that her decision to run was to “protect the outstanding team of Democratic candidates in 2018, and provide Sebastian County voters with the leadership” it deserves.