August 1998

County judge candidates exhibit contrasts in styles Date: 8/3/98 Category: News Page: A1 TRACIE DUNGAN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Joan Adcock whirls through her days, the gung-ho neighborhood activist adept at mobilizing grass-roots support. Buddy Villines works quietly as the laid-back visionary and consensusbuilder who enjoys the inside track among local business leaders. Their campaigns for Pulaski County judge will mirror these polarized styles. Adcock plans to use what she calls neighborhood "coffees and teas" as one way to build a network of supporters in her quest to unseat the incumbent Villines. Adcock likens the approach of the 30 or so socials in private homes to "a Tupperware party," since guests will be asked if they would like to hold one of their own. "Some of the traditional ways of fund raising is not me," Adcock says. For example, she doesn't plan to hold the kind of big receptions for the business community where alcohol is often served that are campaign staples. "I don't want to focus on what we consider the big money, big business people," she says. "I want everyone to feel like they can be a part of my campaign." That includes young people. One of Adcock's eight campaign committees will focus on youth so that voting-age high school and college students can participate. Villines, who's starting off with a $22,750 war chest and the incumbent's inherent advantage, quietly began organizing his campaign just a couple of weeks ago. He estimates he will start with 1,500-2,000 loyal supporters. Adcock, a Little Rock city director and former vice mayor, has already printed fliers and organized her campaign leadership. She has raised less than half the money her opponent has -- roughly $10,000. Adcock said that she will run a clean campaign but will go on the offensive when necessary to illustrate the "differences" in the two candidates' approaches, especially where basic services for less influential county residents are concerned. Political observers say she'll have to. They say Adcock won't win if she runs solely on her accomplishments. "If she's going to beat him, she's going to have to be critical of his record," Little Rock political consultant Jerry Russell declares. Art English, a professor of political science at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, agrees. "She's probably going to have to make the case that this government has not been as responsive to certain parts of the county," English says. So far, Russell thinks, both candidates have been unusually low-key. "Now, it's probably smart for him to be quiet," says Russell, who is handling neither candidates' campaigns. "Buddy doesn't need to be a candidate; Buddy needs to be a county judge." That's because Villines has a far greater advantage at the outset with his incumbency and greater name recognition, Russell says. Adcock, on the other hand, has to play catch-up. Adcock first announced her intention to run March 26. After filing a 2,377-signature petition to run as an independent nine days before the May 1 deadline, she announced her campaign co-chairmen a few days later in early May. One was Jennings Osborne, the Little Rock philanthropist and businessman known for his colossal Christmas light displays. The other was, surprisingly enough, Patti Dailey, wife of Mayor Jim Dailey, a friend to both Adcock and Villines. Her paid campaign coordinator, consultant and manager is Kaye Risser. Villines has hired political consultant Mary Dillard. Adcock's campaign theme, according to her blue and magenta flier, will be "Accountability, Accessibility and Action" -- which all begin with the same letter as her last name. In the flier she promises to "assure accountable spending of public funds, including those for the county jail and the new Alltel Arena." She also would push for economic development "through training and education of a greater work force" so the county can attract new businesses. Her flier also pledges to make county government "accessible to all residents and ensure equal application of all county services." Adcock explains she'd like to bring to the county Little Rock's approach to prioritizing road and bridge projects. "How do you decide which road is most important to do?" Adcock asks rhetorically. The city, after getting citizen input on which projects are most needed, compiles a planning list so the public knows which one will be completed next. She thinks the county ought to do the same, and she hinted that she will target examples of ignored areas later in her campaign. She also would implement audits and evaluations for all federal, state or grant-funded programs, appoint a streams and wetlands task force, and establish a coalition to "maintain an ongoing relationship with the county's two military bases." Adcock has been a Little Rock city director for six years, serving a third of that time as vice mayor. During her tenure, she had a hand in the creation of 75 of the city's 100 or so neighborhood associations. Before being elected county judge in 1990, Villines was active in city government, where he supported big-picture projects. He was first elected to the Little Rock Board of Directors in 1984 and became mayor in 1989, when that position was a ceremonial one. For his part, Villines' theme is: "By bringing people together, we've made a difference." He says he is working on organizing his committees. "I want to be sure that whatever I do is inclusive, geographically and demographically," Villines says. "I think it's important that the community see it's a very inclusive group." Consequently, he will try to ensure he doesn't campaign harder in any one part of the county than in another. "County government is different than city government," Villines says, referring to Little Rock. "You're dealing with elected executives [such as the county's sheriff, assessor, and circuit/county clerk] in addition to a legislative body. "And we do not have the funding of city government." Villines says that during his more than seven years in office, he has demonstrated he can not only offer a vision for progress but also carry those plans out. He cites his leadership in the planned Alltel Arena, which is to be completed in the fall of 1999, and the expansion of the Statehouse Convention Center. The primary reasons Villines says he wants to continue in office are that can carry out promises he made for the arena project and for the rebuilding of the College Station community, which was devastated after tornadoes tore through the state in March 1997.

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