Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area filings are set

There are three people seeking the position of Nevada County Sheriff this year.

Incumbent Steve Otwell will face Gary Hicks in the May 21 primary, with the winner to have opposition with Mike Mullins in the November General Election, as Mullins is running as an Independent. Otwell and Hicks are running on the Democratic ticket.

Otherwise, the majority of county officials have no opposition for reelection.

James Roy Brown will again be the Nevada County Judge, while Julie Stockton will remain Nevada County Clerk.

Carolyn Steed will continue as Nevada County Circuit Clerk, with Pam Box staying on as the Nevada County Assessor and Karen Cobb remaining Nevada County Treasurer.

Some of the justice of the peace positions will be contested in the primary, though.

Danny Miller and Donny McGuire are running for JP District 3, with Bob Cummings being challenged by Tom Cornelius for JP District 5.

Myrna Waters is running against Adron Hicks in JP District 7.

Gary Lewis is unopposed in District 1, with Willie Wilson to continue representing JP District 2. Curtis Lee Johnson will stay on as JP in District 4, while Leo Holleman is unchallenged in District 6. Arval Mason will continue as JP in District 8, with George Clary the JP in District 9.

The race for constable in the various townships could be interesting in the primary.

Edward Arkin has no challengers for constable of the Redland Township. Neither does Scott Harding for the Parker Township, or Danny Martin in the Caney Township. Thomas Q. Johnson will also be constable for the Boughton Township.

The Missouri Township has four candidates: Gurvis Fore, Steve Jackson, Frank Sheets and Michael L. Goodwin.

In Emmet, Tom Hand is challenging James Osborn for the constable position, with Larry Miller and Walt Tompkins running against one another in the Taylor Township.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor has opposition for the job in the city. Mary Gulley has filed as a Democrat against Taylor, though she has outstanding warrants from the county against her.

The warrants are for failure to pay fines from an arrest made by Nevada County Sheriff's deputies on Sept. 20, 2001, for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated.

Sandy Cason is unopposed for the position of City Recorder.

The only contested race for city council positions comes in Ward 1, Position 2, with Larry Baker and Larry D. Faulkner running for the spot that will be vacated by Dick Bright.

Otherwise, all council races are unopposed. Billy House will remain alderman for Ward 1, Position 1; Howard Austin will continue representing Ward 2, Position 1, with Danny Beavert remaining alderman for Ward 2, Position 2.

Karen Ward is unchallenged for Ward 3, Position 1, and Ann Stockton will continue representing Ward 3, Position 2. Susie Meeks will be the alderman for Ward 4, Position 1, with James Roy Cornelius the representative for Ward 4, Position 2.

According to Davis Benton, chairman of the Nevada County Election Commission, there will be a meeting at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Nevada County Courthouse to draw for ballot positions.

Candidates can either draw for themselves, appoint someone to draw for them or allow the commission to do the drawing.

This, though, is only for those candidates who have oppositions.

Statewide races will be more interesting, by and large.

The one state office with only one candidate is Attorney General, with Mike Beebe the only person running.

For U.S. Senate, Jim Bob Duggar is running against Sen. Tim Hutchinson in the GOP primary, while Mark Pryor will face the winner in the November General Election.

For District 1 of the U.S. House of Representatives, Marion Berry is being challenged by Tommy Robinson.

Jim Baker will attempt to unseat Vic Snyder as Congressman from District 2.

In the Fourth Congressional District, the primary race will be on the GOP side as Jay Dickey and David Stearns vie to see who will challenge Congressman Mike Ross in November.

Mike Huckabee has several challengers for the position of Governor of Arkansas. Jim Billie, Doyle Cannady, Jimmy Lou Fisher and Joe Holmes are all running for the post.

Win Rockefeller is being challenged as Lt. Gov. by Kirt Dilday and Ron Sheffield.

Former Land Commissioner Charlie Daniels and First Lady Janet Huckabee both want the job as Arkansas Secretary of State. They will meet in November, as Daniels is running as a Democrat with Huckabee on the GOP ticket.

Mary Jane Rebick, Martha Shoffner and Jim Wood are all running for State Auditor.

The office of Land Commissioner will see George French, Stephen Kovach, Mark Wilcox and Dennis Wolford running against one another.

For State Treasurer, Gus Wingfield and Randy Bynum will be the candidates.

For the state offices, the main reason for so many challenged races this time is term limits.

Several former office-holders are being booted out because of term limits and are seeking other offices.