TEXARKANA, AR-The Miller County Republican Committee (MCRC) is reconvening their County Convention on July 21st in order to elect a Republican candidate on the November ballot for Justice of the Peace, District 1. The Republican vacancy is due to the passing of John Wilson. John Wilson was the Republican primary candidate for this position. The untimely death has created a situation that has rarely occurred in Miller County however, there are laws in place to address this situation.
State law required immediate action within 10 days of John Wilson’s passing. The MCRC Chair, Diana Lowe, notified the Republican State Party Chair, Jonelle Fulmer, so the Governor could be officially contacted by the Republican Party of Arkansas. Governor Asa Hutchinson officially declared the vacancy so the MCRC may now elect another Republican candidate for the JP1 position. The committee will elect the Republican candidate at their County Convention scheduled for July 21st @ 6:30pm. The meeting will take place at The Dugout, 3801 East 9th Street, Texarkana, AR. All members of the MCRC should attend.
Citizens interested in filing for the position should complete the filing forms, along with the $250 filing fee, and deliver them to the committee the night of the County Convention on July 21st by 6:30pm. The filing forms require, and include a page for the potential candidate to affirm their concurrence with the principles and objectives of the Republican Party of Arkansas. The filing forms are available on the Miller County Republican Committee website. Potential candidates must be residents of Miller County District 1 and a registered voter in Miller County. If someone interested does not know which district they reside in, they may contact the Miller County Clerk, Stephanie Harvin, at 870-774-1501 for residency confirmation. If more than one person files for the position on July 21st, the candidates will be given 10 minutes to speak to the committee and then the committee will take a vote on the candidates.
Judy Wilson, the widow of John Wilson, has contacted the committee to announce that she is filing for the position of her late husband. As of this press release time, no other Miller County citizen has contacted the committee with interest to file. The Republican primary candidate that will be elected on July 21st will challenge Independent candidate Eric Darden in the November election. Any questions concerning the filing and election should be addressed to the MCRC Secretary, Clint Thomas at 832-652-8012 or MCRC Chair Diana Lowe at mcrcofarkansas@gmail.com.
