Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Jason Allen has won the Republican primary in the race for Craighead County sheriff.
According to unofficial election results, Allen defeated opponent Randy Eggers, with Allen winning 85.3% of the vote, while Eggers received 14.7%. No Democratic candidates filed for sheriff, so Allen will run unopposed in the November general election.
“Thanks, everyone, for the support from day one. I’m overwhelmed and very humbled,” he said. “People showed up to the polls, and now it’s time for me to show up and do my part.”
His next steps are putting together an administrative staff in the coming months and then “dissecting every part of the sheriff’s office” to see where the department’s needs and wants are, as well as evaluating performance.
He added that he was in early talks about putting a jail tax on the ballot again, or about exploring funding a new facility to add new jail cells.
“The way that facility is structured and designed, we can build a footprint and start adding cells as we need them,” he said. “We just got to figure out how much we can afford right now and what we can do, but that is in works. We’re trying to figure out how much we can afford to pay for and where the funds are coming from.”
During the 2024 general election, the issue to approve a temporary 0.5% sales tax to fund either a new jail or expansion failed, with 52.21% voting against it. It was a response to the detention center’s overcrowding.
Allen, who has a 19-year career in law enforcement, currently serves as assistant chief deputy for the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department. He replaces Sheriff Marty Boyd, who announced in August 2025 that he was not seeking reelection.
Despite the loss, Eggers said Allen “ran a good race.”
Eggers works as an equipment operator for the Craighead County Road Department. He was formerly a general manager at the Mall at Turtle Creek and served as a reserve deputy for the Sheriff’s Department.
“He did run a good race, and I congratulate him on winning,” Eggers said. “I will get a hold of him and meet with him face-to-face and tell him that.”
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