Local Matters: 1,990 candidates for county office

Let’s get local.

You probably don’t know your Congressman. You most likely don’t know your State Senator, at least not very well. But odds are you know your Justice of the Peace or your County Sheriff or the County Judge. Local matters. That’s why we’ve added a new feature to our website listing candidates running for county level offices.

Here at Common Ground, we believe in the power of data. You’ll see above that we’ve created some graphics to break down these county level races around the state.

There are a total of 1,990 candidates seeking county offices in Arkansas. Here’s how that shapes up from a party perspective:

• 23% are Democrats
• 68% are Republicans
• 9% are Independents

A full 57 of Arkansas’ 75 counties (76%) had a majority of candidates running as Republicans for county races. Just 12 counties has a majority running as Democrats (16%). And there was 1 that had a majority of its county candidates running as Independents.

This upswing in Independent candidates mirrors a national trend away from partisanship. The latest Gallup Poll shows that 42% of Americans consider themselves Independents, compared to 26% Republicans and 29% Democrats.

Below, you can see the counties in which more than a quarter of the candidates are running as Independents.

Percentage of Candidates running as Independents

Whether you’re an Independent, Republican, or Democrat, get to know your local candidates. Make sure they represent your values and have the experience to serve you well. And come back later this week, when we’ll talk about contested elections and which counties have the highest political engagement.