Constable races on ballot
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/60286/
BENTON COUNTY — There are 13 positions for constables in Benton County, but only six will be contested in the Tuesday primary elections.
Townships 1, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 each feature two or more Republican candidates. There are no contested Democratic nominations, and the Democratic candidates will be automatically listed on the general-election ballots in November.
The position of constable was created by the Arkansas Constitution. At that time, the constables often represented the only law enforcement in a given area. Those holding those positions were given the same powers as a county sheriff.
Now, the duties of a constable are often questioned. Some in the law-enforcement community see the position as a more ceremonial role, while others say the constable’s role is to assist the Sheriff’s Office. Some say that because of the prevalence of sheriff’s deputies and city police departments, the position of constable has become outdated.
Following is a list of those running for a constable seat: Township 1
James Hollenbeck, Republican
Grant Hardin, Republican
Lee R. Paull, Democrat Township 2
Mike Pierce, Republican
Jimmy F. Brown, Democrat Township 3
Michael S. Ford, Republican
Kevin Stearman, Republican
Gary L. McLennan, Republican Township 4
Casey Ward, Democrat
Craig Milligan, Republican Township 5
Steve Spraggins, Republican Township 6
David Ibarra, Democrat
Sam J. Reyna, Republican Township 7
Mike Criss, Republican
Jess Arnold, Republican Township 8
Jim Jefferson, Republican
Keith Brummett, Republican
Harold L. Bass, Republican Township 9
Christopher Gibson, Republican
Bobby Joel “ BJ” Burney, Republican Township 10
Craig Fisher, Republican
J. Neff Basore, Republican Township 11
Gordon Fisher, Republican Township 12
Matthew Rahn, Republican Township 13
A. L. Hollingsworth, Republican