The race for Lincoln County judge is headed to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s election.
According to unofficial results, incumbent Lincoln County Judge Buddy Lynn Earnest received 559 votes, while challenger John W. Powell finished second with 430 votes. Third candidate Dan Woodard received 263 votes.
Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, Earnest and Powell will advance to a runoff election to determine the winner.
However, questions have surfaced about Powell’s eligibility to appear on the ballot following the emergence of court records related to a prior criminal case.
Documents filed in Cleveland County Circuit Court show Powell was charged in 2014 with three counts of aggravated assault, a Class D felony. The charges stem from incidents in which Powell was accused of displaying and firing a pistol in a manner that created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to multiple individuals. You can see the documents here
Investigative records included in the case indicate the allegations involved family members and another individual during separate incidents in April and September of 2014. Authorities alleged Powell fired a pistol during an altercation and later confronted another person with a weapon.
Court records show Powell was arrested in September 2014 and later appeared before a Cleveland County circuit judge on the felony charges where he was pleaded guilty on June 9, 2019.
The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor.
Under Arkansas law, individuals convicted of certain felony offenses are prohibited from holding public office unless their rights have been restored.
Because of the felony case reflected in the court documents, questions have been raised about whether Powell should remain on the ballot in the upcoming runoff election. The subsequent reduction to a misdemeanor makes it unclear to many how a court would rule on the eligibility.
Unless legal action changes the ballot, Earnest and Powell will face each other in the runoff election to determine who will serve as Lincoln County judge.
13CR-14-47 John Powell Lincoln County Judges Race 2026
