ROBERT STEINBUCH: Voter accomplishment |
This week Arkansas held its primary and judicial elections--although I still don't understand why we don't choose judges in November. A few weeks ago, I provided you dear readers the 11 candidates that I supported in the Republican primary or for a (nominally) non-partisan judge position.
The former is critical, because in many Arkansas districts--especially rural ones--the GOP nominee is effectively a shoo-in for the general election. Democrats might not even field a candidate, and when they do, the effort is often symbolic. Similarly, in a handful of districts, the Democratic candidate is the only one with a viable path to election. In both cases, the primary is essentially determinative.
Before I discuss the results of the 11 races, I need to explain that in most elections in Arkansas, a candidate must win over 50 percent of the vote to gain office. In a two-person race, this is inevitable. But in multi-candidate races, no individual might chin that bar. In that situation, the top two contenders will compete in a runoff.
Regarding my 11 favored candidates, all but two either won outright or made it to a runoff. Here's how they performed.
Cole Jester (land commissioner) won his........