HOWARD COUNTY
Howard County voters will see few races on the Preferential Primary ballot.
Election day will be March 3, and early voting will begin next Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Voters must cast their votes on one of the three ballots — Democrat, Republican and non-partisan. The non-partisan races will appear on all ballots.
Some confusion exists for persons who are “registered” Republican or Democrat under new election laws.
County Clerk Keri Teague explains that — for instance — a person who is a registered Republican but wants to vote using the Democrat ballot needs to go to the clerk’s office in the courthouse and have their status changed to “optional.” They can still vote either ballot.
Last week she explained that there are actually very few “registered” Republicans or Democrats in the county, and that most of the eligible voters have “optional” status.
All you have to do is select a Republican, Democrat or non-partisan ballot when you go to the voting place in the Preferential Primary Election, she said
Early voting in Howard County will only take place at the Carter Day Training Center on North Main St. Early voting will end at the close of the business day on Monday, March 2, the day before Election Day.
Winners in the primary will face in November in the General Election.
In Howard County, candidates include the following:
County offices
County Judge — Brent Pinkerton (R).
County Sheriff — Joey Davis (R); Alex Gamble (D).
County Clerk — Keri Teague (R).
Circuit Clerk — Alana Miller; Jana Tallant, both (R). This is one of two races on the Republican ballot, and the winner will be unopposed in the November election.
Tax Assessor — Cindy Butler (R).
Coroner — Matt Smith; Alex Laxton, both (R). This race is also only on the Republican ballot.
Quorum Court — Cohen D. Davis (R), Dist 1; Andy Hogg (R), Dist. 2; Elizabeth D’Ann Rogers Henderson (R), Dist. 3; Janet O’Neal (R), Dist. 4; Elizabeth McDaniel (R), Dist. 6; Don Marks (D); Bobby Tullis (I), Dist. 8; John Reeder Raulerson (R), Juanita Jackson (D), Dist. 9. There were no candidates filed for Districts 5 and 7.
City of Nashville
Mayor — Larry Dunaway (R).
City Clerk — Lauren Hoen (R).
Alderman — Charles Pinkston (R) W5P1; William E. Turley (R), W4P1.
City of Mineral Springs
Mayor — Vera Marks (D); Merles Jean Cheatham (D), W1P1; Dana Greenlee (D), W2P1;Vanessa Hendrix (D),W3P1.
School Boards
Mineral Springs — William Dixon, Zone 7; Barnado Thomas, Zone 6; Robert Ray Hawkins, Sr., Zone 5.
Nashville — Jerry Wilson, Zone 4; David Hilliard, Zone 3.
Dierks –Laykon Graham, Justin Simmons, at large.
Arkansas House of
Representatives
Dolly Henley (R), Dist. 88; Justin Gonzales (R), Dist. 89.
Non-partisan District 9 West
Circuit Judge — Judge Bryan Chesshir, Division 2; Judge Tom Cooper, Division 1.
Prosecuting Attorney — Erin Hunter, Clayton Tinkes, Jana Bradford.
PIKE COUNTY
Election time is fast approaching in Pike County.
The 2026 Preferential Primary will be held on Tuesday, March 3, with early voting beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Early voting may be conducted at the Pike County Clerk’s Office in Murfreesboro or at the Bainum Library and Learning Center in Glenwood.
On election day, the four vote centers will be open across Pike County in Murfreesboro, Glenwood, Delight and Kirby. Registered county voters may participate at the vote center of their choice.
In the event of a runoff election, early voting would begin on Tuesday, March 24, with the runoff election day set for Tuesday, March 31.
New to the process this year is a semi-closed primary by the state Republican party.
This means that those that have declared themselves as Democrats on their Pike County voter registration form cannot choose a Republican ballot, which will hold several key county races.
However, the less than 100 Pike County registered Democrats may, according to County Clerk Randee Edwards, change their party registration to “optional” at her office prior to the election or at any of the Pike County voting centers on election day.
This would allow for voting in the Republican primary. That status may be changed back after the primary elections should a voter desire.
Additionally, the only way a voter can participate in a runoff election is limited to their previous choice of Republican or Democratic tickets.
There will be several contested races on the ballots, including three challengers for Pike County Judge Eddie Howard’s position.
Howard will face Robert Shelby, Wade Stewart and Keith Couch on the Republican ticket.
Current Pike County Sheriff/Collector Travis Hill will face off against Murfreesboro Police Chief Randy Lamb on the Republican ticket.
The Republican ticket will also feature three Justice of the Peace races.
Roger Floyd and Payton Eckert will each seek the Justice of the Peace Dist. 1, seat vacated by Chief Lamb.
Incumbent Kip Holbrook and Ron Parker will vie for the District Six seat, while incumbent Richard Mohlenhoff and Robert Irvin will seek the District Seven position.
On the school board side of things, both South Pike County and Centerpoint School Districts will see contested races.
Incumbent Alyssa Duggan will face off against Carrie Tidwell for the Zone Seven seat for South Pike County.
For Zone Four in the Centerpoint School District, incumbent Larry Harvey will face challenger Pake Sutton.
