Ryals leads 2 in Faulkner County sheriff bid

CONWAY -- Former Arkansas State Police Trooper Tim Ryals took a strong lead Tuesday in a three-way race for the Republican nomination for Faulkner County sheriff but appeared to be headed for a runoff.

Former Conway police officer Joe Taylor, 48, and Mayflower police officer Rocky Lawrence, 57, were trailing Ryals, 53, substantially. Only five votes separated Taylor and Lawrence before election officials realized there was a problem with the vote totals.

Late Tuesday, Faulkner County Clerk Margaret Darter said there had been a "glitch" in the count. Early-voting numbers had inadvertently been counted twice, she said, meaning the candidates' vote totals would change but percentages would remain the same.

In the Democratic primary for sheriff, Wefus Tyus Jr., 48, was unopposed.

All three Republicans had previously sought the nomination but lost.

A woman answering Ryals' cellphone late Tuesday said he wanted to wait on more accurate vote totals before commenting.

The county's Quorum Court appointed the current sheriff, Matt Rice, to complete the unexpired term of Andy Shock, who resigned from the office at the end of August to accept a position on the Arkansas Parole Board.

The sheriff makes $74,984 annually and is elected to a two-year term.

In the clerk's race, Darter, 53, held a wide lead over challenger Marvin Lessmann, 65, in the Republican primary.

The winner will face Democrat Penny McClung in November.

The race had drawn more attention than usual because Darter is awaiting trial on a felony charge of tampering with public records. She has pleaded innocent.

Darter said Tuesday night that she didn't campaign "because I put it [the election] in God's hands." She said she also was too busy in the clerk's office as the county was preparing to use a new election system for the first time.

She said she raised less than $500 in campaign funds and spent less than $250 on T-shirts and other items.

She said she's confident she can also win in November.

Her attorney, Frank Shaw, said, "It's great to see" so much support for Darter and said their work in preparing for her trial would begin today.

Lessmann said that regardless of the election's outcome, he plans "to try to get a law passed to turn some of the county offices into nonpartisan offices."

The Faulkner County clerk makes $72,841.60 annually and serves a two-year term.

State Desk on 03/02/2016

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