Carrie Perrien Smith, Benton County Justice of the Peace for District 5 is calling on the Republican Party of Benton County (RPBC) to immediately call a county convention to address two items:
- Vote to remove Austin McCollum from RPBC membership to disqualify him to hold the Republican nomination for Benton County Judge.
- Vote to decide who will receive McCollum’s votes cast on the November ballot.
Unopposed candidate for Benton County Judge, Austin McCollum, only requires one vote to win his race on November 3. As Benton County Judge, he’ll be paid over $170,000 a year.
His August 1 arrest for domestic battery prompted calls for his resignation from the state legislature where he served five terms. He resigned on August 5. Removing him from the ballot as the Republican nominee for Benton County Judge is not so easy.
He has two options: He can move out of the county; or he can be diagnosed with a serious illness. Almost four weeks have passed, and he has declined either option.
His domestic abuse case that includes two felony charges and a misdemeanor might not be heard for one to two years. He would be distracted from the responsibilities of serving Benton County while he prepares for trial, juggles the challenges of supervised visits with his children, and works out his own personal struggles that led to his arrest on August 1. If convicted of a felony charge, he would have to resign and then the Quorum Court would appoint an interim county judge to serve until the next election cycle in 2028.
“The Benton County Judge oversees all the county’s administrative departments such as facilities, road maintenance, planning, and human resources. The county employs many women in leader roles who would report to McCollum, if elected. As a county elected official and a long-time active member of the Republican Party, I’m committed to exploring every avenue to ensure that Austin McCollum does not take the oath of office on January 1,” said Carrie Smith.
A firm believer that anyone accused deserves due process, Smith believes the details of the August 25 hearing for a permanent order of protection for the wife of Austin McCollum provides enough evidence that his supervision would make Benton County an uncomfortable place for women to work. It also raises concerns about McCollum’s ability to lead a large organization with fairness, consistency, and integrity.
“The Republican Party has a moral and ethical imperative to send a strong message that they disapprove of this behavior. Instead, McCollum has been handed total control. This is slowly eroding the sentiment toward the Republican Party to do the right thing for voters and ensure fair and honest elections. We must keep violent, dishonest, and unstable people out of public office — even when they are supported by a long list of influential donors and political action committees like McCollum.”
Arkansas Code for Elections 7-7-104 (f)(1) and (2) covers the rules for vacancies. If McCollum had vacated his nomination before August 19 (76 days before the general election), the RPBC could have held a convention to select someone to replace him on the ballot. Since this deadline has passed, his name must stay on the ballot.
This code also offers an opportunity to change who receives those votes after August 19 if a vacancy is created by September 17 (47 days before the general election). The RPBC could convene to elect someone to receive those votes cast for Austin McCollum. A notice would be posted at each polling place and included in absentee ballots to notify voters of the change.
Calling a convention of the Benton County Republican Party requires a two-week notice.
“If the party does not take this opportunity, it will prove to voters that Republican leaders in Benton County don’t care about bad behavior from candidates and elected officials. Twenty-six days have passed with only explanations like these: ‘We’re just waiting on Austin to decide what he’s going to do. Our hands are tied. State law doesn’t really cover this situation.’ The citizens of Benton County deserve action,” added Smith.
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