WASHINGTON COUNTY JUDGE : Edwards takes county judge position handily
Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Edwards
State Rep. Marilyn Edwards, D-Fayetteville, beat Republican Earvel Fraley in the race to replace retiring Washington County Judge Jerry Hunton.
“ Needless to say, I’m a little bit happy, ” Edwards said Tuesday night after the results came in showing she won.
“ I’m just so excited about being the first woman county judge. I feel like the campaign’s been a good campaign, ” she said. “ I think we’ve both run a good campaign, and I’m just happy that it’s over. ”
Unofficial results with all precincts reporting were: Edwards 37, 750 57. 73 % Fraley 27, 640 42. 27 %
Edwards, 70, is the former county clerk, while Fraley, 67, served on the Washington County Quorum Court from 1997 to 2003. Fraley lives in the southern part of the county.
“ I wish her well because of the county, ” Fraley said of Edwards’ win.
He said he had lots of hardworking people helping him in the campaign.
Edwards said she won because the people of Wash- ington County have always been good to her.
She said she worked “ very, very hard ” along with the people around her.
“ We’ve had a very small campaign group, ” she said, “ but they’ve all worked very hard, and I think that’s why I won. ”
She said she believes the people of the county have confidence and trust in her and that it has to do with her extensive background — including six years in the state House of Representatives and 26 years working for the county.
Edwards served as a clerk in the Washington County Judge’s Office and deputy county clerk for Washington County in the early to late 1970 s. She served as county and probate clerk from 1977 to 2002.
She was elected to serve in the District 88 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2003 and is leaving due to term limits.
She has been a resident of the county for the past 40 years.
“ I just want to thank the people of Washington County and everybody that has supported me, ” Edwards said.
Upon taking office, Edwards said she will conduct meetings, listen and “ get settled in. ”
“ I just kind of want to get my people in and get established, ” she said.
She said County Administrator John Gibson has said he would be willing to stay on for a few months after she takes office.
“ John told me he was willing to stay with me and train my person, ” she said. “ John is a wealth of knowledge. That means a lot to me, that he’s willing to stay on and help us. ”
Asked who the new county administrator would be, she said she was “ not prepared to say that now. ”
Edwards said she will try to meet with different departments, “ try to meet with a bunch of the people, listen to people, kind of see what they want to do, what they want to see done. ”
“ I never proclaimed that we were going to go in there and make a whole lot of changes, ” she said.
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