From the Arkansas Advocate:
Primary runoff elections are underway in three Arkansas House districts where the incumbents did not seek reelection.
Early voting began Tuesday and runoff election day is April 2 in races for House District 35, 63 and 88. Runoffs occur between the two candidates that received the most votes in a race where no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote.
Jessie McGruder and Raymond Whiteside are the candidates in the Democratic primary for House District 35, which includes portions of Crittenden and Cross counties. The district’s current representative is Marion Democrat Rep. Milton Nicks, Jr., who isn’t seeking reelection after his fifth term in the House.
In the House District 63 Democratic primary, Hughes Mayor Lincoln Barnett is facing Fred Leonard to represent part of Crittenden County in east Arkansas. They’re vying to succeed Rep. Deborah Ferguson, D-West Memphis, who is leaving office after finishing her sixth term in the House.
Arnetta Bradford and Dolly Henley are the Republican primary candidates for House District 88, which includes all of Hempstead and portions of Miller and Howard counties in southwest Arkansas. Rep. Danny Watson, R-Hope, is stepping down from his seat after four terms in the House.
Early voting for runoff elections continues on weekdays through April 1. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on election day, April 2.
To check your voter registration and view sample ballots, visit www.voterview.ar-nova.org.
House District 35
The runoff election feels like “a whole new race” for Whiteside, who said he’s more focused and has been more successful engaging with voters who are spending more time outside because of the warmer weather.
If elected, Whiteside said he’ll be a peacemaker in Little Rock, intending to work on both sides of the aisle to support his constituents.
“I want to help people and I know that sounds simple, but I’m originally from the Delta and there’s a lot of need on this side of the state,” he said. “The whole state has poverty, but it seems to be a little more intense over here, and I’m just tired of seeing my neighbors suffer.”
The state has had a record surplus over the last three fiscal years — it surpassed $1 billion the last two — and Whiteside said he wants to “unlock some of those funds and get them to the people that need it.”
McGruder did not respond to requests for comment, but his campaign website states that his roles as a police officer and educator have opened his eyes to issues facing the community. If elected, he “will work hard to ensure that all Arkansans are playing on a level field.”
McGruder also promises to advocate for increased school funding and access to quality education for all students. McGruder is critical of the LEARNS Act, the governor’s signature education bill.
The legislation made sweeping changes to the state’s education system, including raising the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, eliminating a minimum salary schedule and creating a “transformation contract,” which allows struggling public schools to partner with another entity like a charter organization.
“The LEARNS bill’s creators need to research Arkansas’s educational system,” McGruder said on his campaign site. “The schools in the Delta are suffering from a lack of support and having to hire uncertified teachers. Instead of offering assistance, this bill will give control of Arkansas schools to charter schools outside of Arkansas to take control of districts.”
An Advocate analysis found that one in 12 teachers in Arkansas are unlicensed or teaching outside of their certification field. Rural districts like those in the Delta often hire unlicensed teachers because of recruitment challenges, such as lower pay and a lack of quality housing.
Whiteside also disapproved of the LEARNS Act, including its creation of a voucher program that permits state funding to be used for allowable educational expenses, such as private school tuition.
“I do not agree with the voucher program and sending public school money to private schools. I would like to completely undo that, as well as bring back salary scales,” he said. “The minimum starting pay of $50,000 is great. We also need to pay our classified workers more.”
The winner of the House District 35 runoff will face Republican Robert Thorne, Jr., a member of the Crittenden County Quorum Court.
House District 63
Lincoln Barnett, now in his second term as mayor of Hughes, is a former school board member, rural nonprofit leader and minister who “knows the gaps that exist in our communities and what support is needed for East Arkansas to thrive again,” according to his campaign website.
Barnett said he’s committed to protecting public schools, expanding access to health care and mental health services, and reviving his community with new jobs.
The Hughes mayor’s priorities also include criminal justice and prison reform through initiatives like enhanced rehabilitation programming, expanded job skills training and fair sentencing.
Barnett’s opponent, Fred Leonard, describes himself as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and servant leader who’s made a positive impact in his community.
According to his campaign website, the associate minister and long-time State Farm employee wants to invest in early childhood development, especially in Pre-K, increase funding for food insecurity programs and provide Arkansans with access to affordable health care.
“I am disappointed in Arkansas’s recent, and heartless, purging of the Medicaid rolls which directly hurts people in our district,” Leonard said. “As State Representative, I’ll fight to get those Medical eligible back on the rolls because a healthy populace benefits us all.”
Republican Tammi Northcutt Bell will meet the winner of the Democratic primary runoff in the general election.
House District 88
Arnetta Bradford owns HeBrews 11:1 Coffee Shop in Hope and serves as a board member for the Hope Chamber of Commerce.
As an entrepreneur, Bradford has insights into the business community and is committed to fostering an environment that supports small businesses, creating more job opportunities and economic prosperity for all, according to her campaign website.
“Bradford is running for Arkansas State Representative for District 88 to be a strong advocate for education, healthcare, small businesses, and the well-being of employees,” her website reads. “With her passion, experience, and genuine commitment to her community, she is ready to represent the voices and aspirations of the district’s residents.”
Dolly Henley, Bradford’s primary opponent, spent more than two decades as Nashville’s Parks and Recreation director before becoming the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana’s advancement director and later the executive director of the UAHT Foundation in scholarship development.
According to a press release, Henley will prioritize quality education for all children, support veterans and first responders, promote the agriculture industry and advocate for improved access to mental health services. Henley is president of the Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Board.
“It will be the honor of a lifetime to share my ideas with you and ask for your support,” Henley said. “As a lifelong resident of Southwest Arkansas, I have the heart and vision to make a difference.”
The winner of the District 88 Republican runoff will square off with Libertarian Tammy Goodwin in November.
