Democratic candidates vie for Washington County House seat

FAYETTEVILLE -- Two Democratic candidates discussed a range of issues -- from the need for equal pay for women to access to mental health care -- to persuade voters to elect them to the state House District 86 seat during the Washington County Democratic Women meeting Tuesday night.

Nicole LeFrancois Clowney, 35, and Fayetteville City Council member Mark Kinion, 61, are vying for the seat left open by Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, who is running for the Senate. No Republican filed for the race, so the winner of the May 22 primary election will face no major party opposition in the Nov. 6 general election.

Arkansas House, District 86

Democratic candidates Mark Kinion and Nicole Clowney are contending for the House District 86 seat, which includes the University of Arkansas and the area south of Arkansas 112. To view a map, visit www.arkansashouse.o….

Source: Arkansas House of Representatives

Early voting starts May 7.

At least 86 people turned out to hear Kinion and Clowney talk about what they would do if elected during the group's meeting at Mermaids Restaurant.

The forum, which included introductions and questions posed by a moderator, was meant to help voters understand who the candidates are and how they would address important issues, group members said.

Kinion and Clowney both said they think the state needs stronger laws to help domestic violence victims. Both said they support equal pay for women, the passage of the Equal Rights Act, access to mental health care and more money for public schools.

"We need to direct the money toward public schools, not private schools," Clowney said.

Private schools siphon money away from public schools, which are essential for equality and helping people get ahead, Kinion said.

Kinion said affordable and accessible health care is a top need in rural Arkansas. The state should partner with businesses but also better fund needs, including the need for mental health care facilities and staff, he said.

"It all comes down to budgeting," he said.

The candidates come from different backgrounds -- something several attendees said they were interested in hearing about.

Clowney is an instructor at the University of Arkansas, community advocate and a mother of two girls, she said. She's a founding member of a local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national group that promotes reforming gun ownership.

Clowney earned her law degree from the Yale Law School in 2007, according to a school spokeswoman. She doesn't practice in Arkansas and allowed her license to expire in Kentucky. Clowney said previously that she worked for the Children's Law Center, a nonprofit legal service center to protect the rights of children and youth. She said she hasn't practiced law since moving to Arkansas four years ago.

State records show Clowney isn't licensed with the Arkansas Bar Association.

Kinion, 61, is a lifelong resident of Northwest Arkansas with extensive experience in Fayetteville and county politics, government operations and business. He is involved with several nonprofit organizations and is a strong advocate of organizations including Planned Parenthood, which is a nonprofit organization that provides sexual health care.

Voters said hearing about the candidates' backgrounds and experience was important leading up to the primary election.

Judy McDonald of Fayetteville said she listened to how Clowney and Kinion approached problem-solving, and her opinion changed. She came to the meeting thinking she likely would vote for one candidate but switched to the other, she said.

McDonald said she didn't want to say whom she now plans to support.

Juliana Bright, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, said she found candidates' answers enlightening but was undecided. Both candidates appealed to her, she said.

The candidates each seemed to focus on certain issues, Bright said. For example, Kinion seemed most passionate about health care, while Clowney seemed focused on domestic violence and equal pay issues, she said.

During her speech, Clowney said people who are known domestic abusers shouldn't have access to guns and wanted legislation to help people escape abusive situations, she said. Kinion, who said he is gay, wanted legislation to include protecting people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual equally or other, he said.

Both candidates are good choices, McDonald said. The state Legislature needs more people like Kinion and Clowney, she said.

"Either of them will bring to [the House] something that doesn't currently exist," McDonald said. "They'd both be great."

There are 24 Democrats in the state House. Members serve two-year terms. Base salary for the position is $40,188 but is expected to increase by 3 percent.

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Nicole Clowney

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Mark Kinion

NW News on 04/25/2018

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