LITTLE ROCK — A former Democratic state representative who was disqualified from running for the state House in his party’s primary is among those nominated by the Green Party of Arkansas to run for the state House of Representatives.
Fred Smith was one 16 Green Party candidates nominated to run for a slate of federal, state and local offices during the state party’s convention Sunday.
The Democratic and Republican primaries will be held May 22. Early voting began Monday.
Smith, a former Harlem Globetrotter, was elected to the House District 50 seat in 2010 but resigned early in the 2011 legislative session because of a felony theft conviction. He was nominated by the Green Party to run for the District 50 seat in November.
Democrat Hudson Hallum, was elected in 2011 after Smith resigned, is seeking re-election to the seat.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
On March 1, the last day of the political filing period, Smith filed to run for the House seat as a Democrat. Days later, the state Democratic Party filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Smith name from the ballot after Secretary of State Mark Martin declined to do so.
On March 14, Circuit Court Judge Sam Pope ordered that Smith’s prosecution and conviction be dismissed because he had successfully complied with all terms of his suspended imposition of sentence.
However, after an April hearing on the Democratic Party’s lawsuit, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mary McGowan ruled that Smith was ineligible to run for office when he filed on March 1.
McGowan said in the six-page decision that she was “persuaded that Fred Smith had to present an expunction order or an order of the dismissal of the Chicot County criminal offense at the time of the filing.”
“As he did not do so, and there was no expunction entered until March 14, 2012, this court finds that Fred Smith was ineligible on March 1, 2012,” the judge said.
She ordered that any primary votes cast for Smith not be counted.
At its convention, the Green Party also nominated Dr. Jill Stein of Massachusetts to run on the Arkansas ballot for president.
Stein, who ran as the Green Party candidate for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, has qualified for the presidential ballot in 16 states this year.
Jim Lendall, a former state representative who is now policies and positions chairman for the Green Party of Arkansas, said Monday that the goal of the party is to give Arkansas voters more choices when they cast ballots.
“We just want people to have a choice when they go to vote,” Lendall said.
Green Party candidates also were nominated for each of the state’s four congressional races.
In the 1st Congressional District, the party’scnominee is Jacob Holloway, who is seeking the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro. Crawford is seeking re-election. Democrats running for the 1st Congressional District primary are state Rep. Clark Hall of Marvell, Scott Ellington of Jonesboro and Gary Latanich of Jonesboro.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Barbara Ward is the Green Party nominee. The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, who is seeking re-election. Democrat Herb Rule of Little Rock also is running.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Rebekah Kennedy of Quitman is the Green Party nominee. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, is seeking re-election. Democrat Kenneth Wade Aden of Russellville, also is running for the seat.
In the 4th Congressional District, Joshua Drake is the Green Party’s nominee. U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, is not seeking re-election.
Republicans seeking the nomination are Tom Cotton of Dardanelle, John Cowart of Genoa and Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia. Democrats running for the nomination are Q. Bynum Hurst of Hot Springs, DC Morrison of Little Rock and state Sen. Gene Jeffress, D-Louann.