Wendell Griffen Defeats Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde for Democratic Nomination
Arkansas primaries in Benton, Pulaski, and Washington Counties detailed below.
The Democratic and Republican primaries occurred today in Arkansas to select candidates for the November 2026 general election. This post covers the races for the Quorum Courts and other countywide offices in the three most populous counties of the Natural State - Benton, Pulaski and Washington Counties. Separate posts will be covering the primaries for federal offices, statewide executive races, and both chambers of the state legislature.
In Arkansas, a candidate needs to achieve a 50%+1 majority in the primary to receive their party’s nomination. If that doesn’t happen, then the top two finishers will advance to a runoff scheduled for March 31, 2026.
The general election for these county positions in Arkansas’ main population centers will be held on November 3, 2026.
Benton County Quorum Court:
County Judge:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
State Representative Austin McCollum won the Republican primary with 64.1% (12,266) against Justice of the Peace Carrie Perrien Smith with 35.9% (6,882). 19,148 votes counted.
District 1:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Jeff Dunn won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 2:
Office administrator Angelina White won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Behavior analyst Candice Bright won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 3:
Army veteran Stephanie Guzman-Zamarron won the Democratic primary unopposed.
High school counselor Carlos Chicas won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 4:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Michael Miller won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 5:
Architect Steven Baker won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Client account manager Luke Heffron won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 6:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Former justice of the peace Pat Adams won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 7:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Joseph Bollinger won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 8:
Business executive Cassie Murray won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Joel Jones won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 9:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Bentonville operations sergeant Adam McInnis won the Republican primary with 78.3% (487) against economist Alex Rodriguez with 21.7% (135). 622 votes counted.
District 10:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Danny McCrackin won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 11:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Dustin Todd won the Republican primary with 60.6% (936) against business owner Bryan Holland with 39.4% (609). 1,545 votes counted.
District 12:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent John Good Rissler won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 13:
Business owner Meleah Gretzmier won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Army veteran John Matar won the Republican primary with 55.9% (801) against Army National Guard veteran Kevin Osnes with 44.1% (632). 1,433 votes counted.
District 14:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Bethany Rosenbaum won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 15:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Businessman Robby Asbery won the Republican primary unopposed.
Benton County Officials:
Circuit Clerk:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Brenda DeShields won the Republican primary unopposed.
Clerk:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Betsy Harrell won the Republican primary unopposed.
Coroner:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Daniel Oxford won the Republican primary unopposed.
Sheriff:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Shawn Holloway won the Republican primary unopposed.
Tax Assessor:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Roderick Grieve won the Republican primary unopposed.
Tax Collector:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Former justice of the peace Joel Edwards won the Republican primary unopposed.
Treasurer:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Deanna Ratcliffe won the Republican primary unopposed.
Pulaski County Quorum Court:
County Judge:
Former Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen won the Democratic primary with 62.7% (25,638) against incumbent Barry Hyde with 37.3% (15,251). 40,889 votes counted.
Businessman Michael Rushin won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 1:
Incumbent Rebekah Davis won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Realtor Diana Thomas won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 2:
Incumbent Natalie Capps won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 3:
Incumbent Kathy Lewison won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Financial manager Reed Martin won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 4:
Incumbent Julie Blackwood won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 5:
Little Rock youth services program manager Tommy Branch Jr. won the Democratic primary with 63.7% (2,227) against Little Rock school board member Vicki Hatter with 36.3% (1,272). 3,499 votes counted.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 6:
Incumbent Donna Massey won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 7:
Incumbent Dianne Curry won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 8:
Incumbent Curtis Keith won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 9:
Incumbent Tina Ward won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 10:
Incumbent Patricia Young-Baker won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 11:
Retired accountant Richelle Brittain won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Aaron Robinson won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 12:
Business owner Nicole Govan won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Luke McCoy won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 13:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Pulaski County school district board member Wendy Potter won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 14:
Photographer Jesse Johnson won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Paul Elliott won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 15:
Incumbent Staci Medlock won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
Pulaski County Officials:
Clerk and Circuit Clerk:
Incumbent Terri Hollingsworth won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
Sheriff:
Incumbent Eric Higgins won the Democratic primary with 78.7% (31,407) against Sergeant James Wheeler with 21.3% (8,497). 39,904 votes counted.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
Tax Assessor:
Incumbent Janet Troutman Ward won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
Treasurer:
Incumbent Debra Buckner won the Democratic primary with 69.5% (28,367) against county attorney Adam Fogleman with 30.5% (12,440). 40,807 votes counted.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
Washington County Quorum Court:
County Judge:
Businessman Dana Deree won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Police captain Tim Shepard and incumbent Patrick Deakins will advance in the Republican primary with 48.5% (8,018) and 31.4% (5,198) against attorney Mark Scalise with 20.1% (3,324). 16,540 votes counted.
District 1:
Retired nurse Lou Reed Sharp won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Bradley Bruns won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 2:
Healthcare advocate Faith Laukon won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent David Wilson won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 3:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Robert Massingill won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 4:
Incumbent Vladimir Lopez won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Former justice of the peace Bill Ussery won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 5:
Patient access coordinator Stephanie Shufelt won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Kyle Lyons won the Republican primary with 62.8% (674) against senior consultant Jacklyn Perry Ryan with 37.2% (400). 1,074 votes counted.
District 6:
Nonprofit founder Lowell Taylor won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Lisa Ecke won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 7:
Digital project manager AnneDella Hines won the Democratic primary with 60.1% (751) against business owner Sherry Main with 39.9% (498). 1,249 votes counted.
Incumbent Charles Dean Jr. won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 8:
Incumbent Shawndra Washington won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 9:
Incumbent Beth Coger won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 10:
Education management professional Diane Bryant won the Democratic primary with 79.1% (884) against appraisal specialist Frank Jensik with 20.9% (233). 1,117 votes counted.
Incumbent Robert Dennis won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 11:
Incumbent Suki Lin Highers won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 12:
Incumbent Evelyn Rios Stafford won the Democratic primary unopposed.
No candidate qualified for the Republican primary.
District 13:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Willie Leming won the Republican primary with 61.9% (1,069) against business owner Ty Bates with 26.8% (463) and teacher Greg Curoso with 11.3% (195). 1,727 votes counted.
District 14:
Fayetteville Planning Commissioner Jimm Garlock won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Gary Ricker won the Republican primary unopposed.
District 15:
Social worker Caitlin Draper won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Butch Pond won the Republican primary unopposed.
Washington County Officials:
Circuit Clerk:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Kyle Sylvester won the Republican primary unopposed.
Clerk:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Becky Lewallen won the Republican primary unopposed.
Coroner:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Neville won the Republican primary with 51.8% (7,828) against State Health Department branch chief William Mason with 48.2% (7,297). 15,125 votes counted.
Sheriff:
No candidate qualified for the Democratic primary.
Incumbent Jay Cantrell won the Republican primary with 69.5% (11,364) against Sheriff’s Office staffer Mike Stewart with 30.5% (4,997). 16,361 votes counted.
Tax Assessor:
Realtor Nathan Miller won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Russell Hill won the Republican primary unopposed.
Tax Collector:
Freelancer Rachel Eubanks won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Incumbent Angela Wood won the Republican primary with 80.9% (13,171) against Quorum Court Coordinator Myra Collins with 19.1% (3,116). 16,287 votes counted.
Treasurer:
Teacher William Chesser won the Democratic primary unopposed.
Chief Deputy Treasurer Hayden Hill won the Republican primary unopposed.