CONWAY -- With all precincts in, District Judge Susan Weaver of Clinton led late Tuesday in the election for Division 1 in the 20th Judicial Circuit, and the race for prosecutor was headed to a runoff.
Weaver, a district judge for Faulkner and Van Buren counties since 2013, faced Andrea Woods, corporate counsel and executive vice president of Nabholz Construction, in the race for the position now held by Circuit Judge Chris Carnahan.
"I'm just thankful to the voters who came out," said Weaver, 39, who grew up in Clinton and lives there now. "When you have a strong opposition, it keeps you humble and makes you appreciate your job."
With all 204 precincts reporting, unofficial returns were:
Weaver 9,511
Woods 9,213
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The nonpartisan race was close much of the night, with Woods leading in Faulkner County and Weaver carrying Searcy and Van Buren counties.
Carnahan could not run for the judge's position because he was appointed to fill the vacancy created after Mike Murphy was elected to the Arkansas Court of Appeals. Under Arkansas law, Weaver will serve two years, the remainder of Murphy's six-year term.
The 20th Judicial Circuit covers Faulkner, Van Buren and Searcy counties. The position pays $168,096 annually. The Division 1 seat primarily handles civil cases. Judicial circuits can change division assignments, especially after new judges are elected and others leave office.
In the race for prosecuting attorney, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carol Crews of Conway held a wide lead but not enough of one to avoid a runoff with Zach Throneberry of Conway. Jim Hensley of Wooster trailed. If elected, Crews would be the circuit's first female prosecuting attorney.
With all 204 precincts reporting, unofficial returns were:
Crews 9,159
Throneberry 7,012
Hensley 2,412
Crews, 36, of Conway has been a prosecutor for 10 years and handles major-crime cases, including homicides and crimes against children.
Throneberry, 30, of Conway was a deputy prosecutor in the 12th Judicial Circuit, which includes Sebastian County, the past three years. He has prosecuted drug, property and violent crimes.
Hensley, 58, of Wooster has practiced law in a variety of fields almost 19 years. In 2015, he represented former Circuit Judge Michael Maggio during the sentencing phase after Maggio pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge.
Weaver previously was a deputy prosecutor in the 20th Judicial Circuit. She also has worked as an administrative assistant and case coordinator and has served as a law clerk, a city court judge and a special Arkansas Supreme Court justice.
Woods, 47, of Conway grew up in Fayetteville. She has practiced corporate law at Nabholz almost 13 years. She also has worked as an assistant prosecutor in Ohio, handled defense in civil and criminal cases and served as an assistant city attorney.
Metro on 05/23/2018