Mayors Races Packed With Candidates In Northeast Arkansas

With a little more than a week left before early voting starts, Northeast Arkansas residents will see a long ballot when they head to the polls.

They may also face a question of redemption as several former mayors are seeking their old jobs, while several outgoing mayors are running for other offices.

The issue is prevalent in Lawrence, Mississippi and Poinsett counties.

In Walnut Ridge, current mayor Don House is running for a council seat against incumbent Jeff Taylor. Former mayor and state representative J.R. Rogers is also seeking a council seat against Wendell Jones.

To the southeast in Poinsett County, three communities – Harrisburg, Lepanto and Marked Tree – face the same question.

Former Harrisburg Mayor Donald “Buzzy” Faulkner is running against incumbent Randy Mills and two other candidates – Charles E. Brietz and Johnny L. Kirby – for the four-year term. Mills defeated Faulkner, who had served as mayor for nearly two decades, in the 2010 general election.

The voters in Lepanto will have a choice among the last three mayors in their town. Incumbent Steve Jernigan is being challenged by former mayors Dale Dunlap and Kevin Wright in November.

Jernigan defeated Dunlap in the 2010 general election, while Wright defeated Dunlap in the 2006 election.

Down the road in Marked Tree, it is a rematch of a 2013 special election. Former Mayor Dixon Chandler is running against incumbent Mary Ann Arnold.

Arnold defeated Chandler in the special election to fill the unexpired term of Wayne Nichols, who died in office.

Nichols, a former state representative, defeated Chandler in the 2010 election.

In Mississippi County, former Leachville mayor Ralph Wells is running against incumbent Sheila Spurlock, who defeated him in 2006.

OTHER RACES
In addition to the federal and state races on the ballot, there are close to 50 mayors’ races that will be decided by voters.

The following is a rundown of some of the major mayor races in Northeast Arkansas.

CRAIGHEAD
There are five mayor races on the ballot this year in Craighead County.

Voters in Brookland will decide among four candidates – incumbent Kenneth Jones and challengers Martin Crain, Thurman Thompson and Homer Adams.

Incumbent Barry Riley and challenger Kevin Tucker are running for mayor in Caraway, while incumbent Darrell Kirby and challenger James McMasters are seeking the mayor’s job in Bay.

Danny C. Shaw and Kenny Pillow are running for mayor in Bono. The incumbent, Billy Stephens, did not run for re-election and is running unopposed for a city council seat.

Also, Henry Edgar Dunigan and Peggy Williams are running for mayor in Black Oak.

CRITTENDEN
Voters in Earle, Marion and West Memphis will decide who will serve as mayor for the next four years.

Three candidates – incumbent and former state representative Otis Davis, W.H. Johnson Jr. and Carolyn Jones – are running for mayor in Earle.

In Marion, incumbent Frank Fogleman is being challenged by council member Kelly O’Neal and Dennis L. Smith; while incumbent Bill Johnson is running against Joyce Gray for the mayor’s job in West Memphis.

GREENE/JACKSON
Voters in Paragould and Newport will have contested races for mayor for the first time in many years.

In Paragould, longtime incumbent Democrat Mike Gaskill is running for another term and is being challenged by independent Donald Pyatt.

Independent incumbent David Stewart is seeking another term as mayor in Newport and is running against Republican Charles Landrum.

LAWRENCE/MISSISSIPPI/POINSETT
Voters in Lawrence, Mississippi and Poinsett counties will have a lot of choices to decide from in their mayors’ races.

Four candidates – incumbent Lanny Tinker and challengers Russ Barber, Dennis Coggins and Danny Vaughn – are running for mayor in Hoxie.

It is a three-person race for mayor in Blytheville.

Incumbent James Sanders is seeking a second term and is running against council member Tommy Abbott and Gwendolyn Orr.

Don Marshall and Bobby Trump are running for mayor in nearby Gosnell, while incumbent Dickie Kennemore is running against Bryan “B” Winston for mayor in Osceola.

There is also a six-person race for mayor in Trumann this year.

Incumbent Sheila Walters is running against Gary Hill, Barbara Lewallen, Ken Stockton, Debbie Cook and John Paul Goodman.

The election is Nov. 4.

If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the two top finishers will advance to a Nov. 25 runoff.