By Joel Phelps
The Arkadelphian

There are numerous local elected positions up for grabs in 2022.

The filing period to run for elected office begins at noon Tuesday, Feb. 22, and ends at noon on Tuesday, March 1. Anyone running for public office must file with the Clark County Clerk’s Office.

Candidates filing with a political party should first contact the local party chair and file fees with that party prior to filing at the clerk’s office. If running independently, a candidate must first fill out a form in the county clerk’s office noting such, then collect and turn in a petition of signatures from at least 3 percent of the registered voters in the district (for example, if there are 1,000 registered voters in the district you’re running for, you must collect and file 30 signatures from registered voters living within that district). Independent candidates have until May 1 at noon to file the petition in the county clerk’s office.

Candidates filing as a Democrat should contact Zach Bledsoe, chair of the Clark County Democratic Committee, at 870-345-8277 or by email at zbledsoe@hotmail.com. Democrats meet at 1030 Village Dr., Arkadelphia, at 5:15 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.

Candidates filing as a Republican should contact Eddie Arnold, chair of the Clark County Republican Committee, at 870-245-6373. Republicans meet at the Arkadelphia Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. For filing fees, email CCRC treasurer Jenna Scott at jenna.k.scott@gmail.com.

Positions up for election:

Clark County
• County Judge (Troy Tucker, R-incumbent)
• Sheriff (Jason Watson, D-incumbent)
• County Clerk (open)
• Treasurer (Karen Arnold, R-incumbent)
• Assessor (open)
• Circuit Clerk (Brian Daniel, R-incumbent)
• Coroner (Tim Welch, D-incumbent)
• Constable (George Hawthorne, R-incumbent)
• Justice of the Peace 
District 1 (Austin King, D-inc.)
District 2 (Darin “Spud” Buscher, R-inc.)
District 3 (Vanillah Hannah, D-inc.)
District 4 (Albert Neal, D-inc.)
District 5 (Tracy Rider, R-inc.)
District 6 (Tom Calhoon, R-inc.)
District 7 (Jenna Scott, R-inc.)
District 8 (B.J. Johns, R-inc.)
District 9 (Andrea Angle, R-inc.)
District 10 (Wayne Baumgardner, R-inc.)
District 11 (Ricky Arnold, R-inc.)

City of Gurdon
• Mayor; marshal (currently held by Sherry Kelley and Don Childers)
• Every City Council position (Ward 1-5)

City of Caddo Valley, Gum Springs, Amity, Okolona and Whelen Springs
• Mayor
• Every City Council position

Arkadelphia Board of Education
• Zone 1 (currently held by Casey Motl)
• Zone 2 (currently held by Kenneth Harris)

Gurdon School Board
• Every position

Centerpoint School Board
• Every position

Anyone interested in running for election or re-election is welcome to make their announcement public by submitting their information and photograph to editor@arkadelphian.com. For more information about political announcements to run in The Arkadelphian, call 501-304-2134.