Sanders likely to be Arkansas’ first female governor

Polk County will be ‘wet’ again

By Ethan Nahté

(Please note that all provided totals are unofficial as of 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov 9, 2022. Results have been gathered from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s election results page, which includes the Polk County election summary. Results have not been officially certified. Most races still only had 75%-84% of results recorded. Results will be updated soon.)

Arkansas will more than likely have its first female governor as Sarah Huckabee Sanders gained more votes than Chris Jones in yesterday’s election. The total votes were Sanders with 549,498 (62.83%) and Jones with 309,033 (35.34%), while Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. had 16,047 (1.83%). In Polk County, Sanders received 5,629 votes to Jones’ 1,121 votes.

Another first, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge will now be the first female lieutenant governor. Rutledge received 555,564 of the votes to Kelly Ross Krout’s 279,483 while Frank Gilbert received 31,905. In Polk County, Rutledge received 5,602 votes to Krout’s 981.

For the first time in several decades, it appears as if Polk County will officially be a “wet” county. Local Option Question (Wet/Dry) received a total of 4,107 votes “FOR the Manufacture or Sale of Intoxicating Liquors” and 2,756 votes “AGAINST.”

Of the other four issues on the ballot in the state race, Polk County voters voted as follows:

Issue 1-Against: 3,901-2,698

Issue 2-Against: 3,685-2,954

Issue 3-For: 3,427-3,294

Issue 4-Against: 4,224-2,640

Similar to Polk County, the majority of Arkansans voted against Issues 1, 2, and 4.

Issue 3, the “Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment,” was a tight race in both Polk County and across the state, with the results differing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Unlike Polk County voters, who voted for Issue 3 with a 1.98% majority, the bulk of Arkansans voted against Issue 3 in a very tight race with less than a 0.94% difference with 425,102 against vs. 417,161 for with 81.08% of the votes accounted for.

In the local races, Michelle Heath Schnell was unopposed for circuit clerk.

Jeremy Jones is the newly elected justice of the peace for district 2.

Mena:

Mayor Seth Smith ran unopposed. The new city clerk-elect will be Kacie Rose. The city council ward 1, position 2 winner was Stanley D. Craig.

Cove:

Joshua Hagler was elected constable, while Joan Headley was re-elected mayor. Barbara Vallee ran unopposed as Cove’s recorder/treasurer.

Hatfield:

Mayor Linda Denton ran unopposed, as did recorder/treasurer Michael Callahan.

Vandervoort:

Terisia Hartley ran unopposed for mayor, as did Samantha Boyette for recorder/treasurer.

Wickes:

Melinda Kight ran unopposed for mayor and Tracy Morris ran unopposed for recorder/treasurer.

Grannis:

Dwight Billings ran unopposed for mayor and Barbara Frachiseur was unopposed for recorder treasurer.

Other races:

The Republicans won the other big races around the state that Polk County voters could cast their ballot. The winning candidates: Sen. John Boozman, Rep. Bruce Westerman, Secretary of State John Thurston, Treasurer of State Dennis Milligan, and Commissioner of State Lands Tommy Land retained their positions.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin has been elected as attorney general and State Representative Mark Lowery has been elected as the state treasurer.

State Senators John Maddox and Tommy Rice were both unopposed.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Robin Wynne was re-elected to the State Supreme Court for position 2, barely gaining the majority of votes in Polk County, but winning by a wider margin overall.

Arkansas had 1,799,136 registered voters for the 2022 general election and nonpartisan runoff elections according to the election results page from the Secretary of State’s office. Of those, Polk County has 12,183 registered voters with 6,946 ballots cast as of midnight on Election Day.

Voter turnout across the state was 49.03% nearing 1 a.m. with 882,130 ballots cast. Reports indicate 57.01% of Polk County cast their ballot in the 2022 general election. That is more than double the voter turnout during Polk County’s primary election in May of 2022.

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