FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County candidates without opponents spent as little as $200 during the primary election, according to campaign records filed at the Washington County Courthouse this month.
Candidates turned in final campaign contribution and expenditure reports May 2. Records show spending and campaign contributions among most candidates were low.
General election
The General Election is Nov. 8. Final ballots will be determined later this summer after presidential candidates are chosen and municipal candidates file for office.
Source: Staff report
Candidates previously filed paperwork at the end of February.
Some candidates said they were saving and plan to spend heavily in the run-up to the November election. Justice of the Peace Daniel Balls said he was "hoarding" the money he raised for the general election campaign.
Balls is a Democrat representing north-central Fayetteville.
Balls had no primary election opponent and faces Republican Samuel Taylor of Fayetteville in the general election.
"For me, it's full on," Balls said.
Taylor, like Balls, also decided to reserve spending until now.
"I am currently gearing up and really looking at my options," Taylor said.
Taylor raised $1,000 between Nov. 9 and March 1 and loaned himself $200, according to his report. He spent $200 for the filing fee. Similarly, Balls raised $500, loaned himself $300 and spent $200.
Balls carried over about $86 from his last campaign, according to his report.
Several other justices of the peace candidates reported they spent only the filing fee of about $200.
Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum, a Republican representing northern Washington County, raised and spent $200. Justice of the Peace Ann Harbison, who represents south-central Washington County, raised $300 and spent $175.
Some candidates had no contributions or expenditures, including district judges Jeff Harper and Casey Jones.
H. Roddy Lloyd, a Republican justice of the peace candidate running unopposed, showed no activity on his final report, too. Lloyd expects to replace his wife Sharon Lloyd, who didn't run for re-election from the district that mostly covers southern Springdale.
Few candidates spent $1,000 or more. James R. Renfrow Jr., a Republican running against Harbison, raised $1,000 and spent it all between Jan. 1 and May 2, according to his report.
Assessor Russell Hill, a Republican, spent $1,755 between Nov. 2 and Feb. 23 and raised $5,700, according to his report. Hill's opponent, Carol Waddle, a Democrat, spent $1,884 between Nov. 6 and May 2. She has raised $1,550, according to courthouse records.
Some candidates, especially those facing opponents during the primary election, had higher expenditures and contributions.
As reported in earlier filings, Angela Wood spent roughly $56,000, all her own money, for the primary county tax collector race. She won her campaign against fellow county employee Teresa Soares. Wood was the highest-spending candidate, according to all candidate records.
District Judge Graham Nations spent about $20,500 total on his campaign. Nations raised $350 and spent about $7,500 between Feb. 23 and March 10.
Nations won his race against Casey Copeland, who didn't file a report.
Fayetteville Alderman Mark Kinion, a Democratic candidate running for county judge, raised $4,576 and spent $5,719 on his campaign between Nov. 4 and May 2, his record shows. He loaned himself $3,430, of which he still owes himself $1,144.
Kinion won his primary election against Joshua Mahony.
County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat who ran for a justice of the peace position during the primary election, raised $8,200 between Jan. 13 and May 2.
She loaned herself $2,000 and rolled over $623 as the balance of her funds at the beginning of the reporting period. Edwards spent $9,963 by May.
Edwards lost her race to Justice of the Peace Eva Madison, a Democrat representing northeastern Fayetteville. Madison raised $1,765 and spent $534. She loaned her campaign $1,947 and has yet to repay the loan.
Not everyone spent money on his or her own campaign. At least one political figure gave money to help fund events instead of his saving the money for his next campaign.
Sheriff Tim Helder, who ran without opposition, spent $1,115 of his campaign money -- on charity. His expenditures included money for Boys State and the 63rd Annual Rodeo.
NW News on 05/14/2016