By Ray King
After collecting the most votes during the Democratic Party primary in early March, Pine Bluff Attorney Efrem B. Neely continued his winning ways Tuesday, collecting more that 74 percent of the total votes cast to easily defeat current Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson in the party runoff.
Complete but unofficial results showed Neely with 3,616 votes to 1,281 for Robinson.
Neely led from the outset with the lead increasing with each new batch of votes reported by the Jefferson County Election Commission. He will now go on to face retired Colonel Nate Todd who is the Republican Party’s nominee in the November General Election.
Reached by phone, Todd was asked about his plans for the county if elected.
Attempts to reach Neely Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
Also on Tuesday, Jackie Tillmon defeated incumbent District One Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll with Tillmon receiving 273 votes to 168 for Carroll.
Greg Horne told Tillmon that over the past couple of years, there had been a lot of discourse and a lot of fighting between members of the Quorum Court and County Judge Gerald Robinson and with a new county judge and some new members of the Quorum Court in January, Horne asked Tillmon if she expected that there will be more productivity next year.
In Lincoln County, John Powell defeated incumbent County Judge Buddy Lynn Earnest 417 to 373. He will now face Independent challenger Randy Morgan in November’s general election. In Cleveland County Jim Houston defeated Steven McClellan 468 to 438 for the position of Cleveland County Judge.
