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Incumbents Hold On In Benton County Recount

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — A voluntary recount Thursday (May 24) in Benton County reaffirmed narrow victories for the Republican incumbents in races for state House d...

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — A voluntary recount Thursday (May 24) in Benton County reaffirmed narrow victories for the Republican incumbents in races for state House districts 90 and 91 following Tuesday's (May 22) preferential primary.

In district 90, Rep. Jana Della Rosa received 1,069 votes (50.09 %) to Kendon Underwood's 1,065 (49.91 %). The recount added an extra vote in Della Rosa's favor.

The Benton County Election Commission initiated the recount because the races were so close, according to Kim Dennison, election coordinator for Benton County.

However, Underwood has asked for a second recount due to the discrepancy. The recount will cost around $530, and results are expected next week, Dennison said.

"I really evaluated (a recount) for a while," Underwood said. "I think if the numbers would have stayed the same, I probably wouldn’t but because there is a difference I just think I owe it to the voters of district 90 to make sure we have an accurate count."

"I think we could all rest easy to make sure that that’s the case," he added.

Della Rosa, a homemaker from Rogers, was first elected in 2016 and is seeking her third two-year term. Her district includes parts of Rogers, Lowell, Bethel Heights, Springdale and Cave Springs.

She watched the recount since it began and said she's confident the numbers will not change.

"These ballots are clean, smudge free, perfect looking, easy machine readable ballots and there wasn’t one ballot that I saw that even slightly looked off," Della Rosa said.

The winner of the district 90 primary will face Democrat Kati McFarland in the Nov. 6 general election.

McFarland made national headlines in February 2017 when she questioned U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, over the Affordable Care Act during a town hall in Springdale.

In district 91, Rep. Dan Douglas edged out Scott Richardson, receiving 946 votes (50.32 %) to Richardson's 934 (49.68 %). The recount matched Tuesday's primary results.

Douglas, a farmer and Realtor from Bentonville, was first elected in 2012 and is seeking his fourth term in the house. His district includes parts of Gentry, Highfill, Centerton, Osage Mills and Cave Springs.

Douglas has no opposition in the fall.

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