Bragg picks up endorsement in Fort Smith director runoff election

Carl Nevin has endorsed Russ Bragg for Fort Smith City Director Ward 3. Bragg and Lee Kemp will face each other in a runoff election Dec. 3. They, along with Nevin, ran for the position in the Nov. 5 general election, but no candidate received a majority of the votes.

During the general election, Bragg, 65, who retired as senior vice president of supply chain for OK Foods Inc. after 36 years, received 31.733% of the votes, or 2,400 votes. Kemp, 40, lead pastor at Forefront Church in Fort Smith, received 47.997% of the votes, or 3,630 votes. Nevin, 69, a factory worker and small business owner, received 20.27% of the votes, or 1,533 votes.

City Director Lavon Morton chose not to run for reelection to the position.

Nevin said he is endorsing Bragg for the position because of his stance on sanctuary cities and immigration.

“I trust Russ Bragg,” Nevin said. “At the forum two weeks ago, he answered the question. Kemp really didn’t.”

Nevin also said Bragg’s experience with OK Foods will help him when it comes to understanding and better preparing the city’s budget.

“I believe he is the best choice of the two on the ballot,” Nevin said.

Bragg and Kemp said they are against Fort Smith ever becoming a sanctuary city, which is a term used to describe a city that does not work with state or federal officials to enforce immigration laws.

“I will never vote for Fort Smith to be a sanctuary city,” Bragg said. “I don’t want us to be a sanctuary city or a refugee city. … I believe Fort Smith has the right to be Fort Smith.”

Kemp says he is against sanctuary cities and illegal immigration.

“Arkansas as a state has banned sanctuary cities,” Kemp said. “Bragg said when I asked him that there are ways around the system. I thought that was odd.”

Bragg addressed rumors that OK Foods hired illegal immigrants to work in their plants while Bragg was with the company. He said that beginning in 1996, OK Foods began using E-Verify, a federal program that checks the status of every worker in a business who works for the government. At that time, OK Foods had U.S. Department of Agriculture contracts, Bragg said, and so they were required to use the system. All OK Foods employees must pass the E-Verify system, which means they are legal workers, he said.

“I never hired any employees, though. That was not allowed. Hiring was always handled through (human resources),” Bragg said.

Both candidates also agreed on the city applying for and using grants to help fund improvements or needs in the city.

“Grants can help us to grow, and we need to grow, as long as it’s done correctly,” Bragg said.

They both also agreed that if a grant comes with certain criteria that must be met that does not conform to the ideals of the board, the city should not accept that grant.

The runoff election on Dec. 3 will be for the city director position and the Alderman Ward 2, Position 2 seat for the city of Lavaca runoff between Charles Jetton and Dawn Hutchins. Early voting for the run off election begins Nov. 26 and will be held at the Ben Geren Tornado Shelter at 7200 Zero St.

Election Day vote centers will include:
• Fairview School Tornado Shelter, 2400 S. Dallas St.
• Mercy Clinic Fianna Hills, 9101 Jenny Lind
• Southside Senior Center, 2700 Cavanaugh Road
• Rye Hill Baptist Church, 11512 Old Highway 71 South
• Lavaca First Baptist Church, 100 W. Main Street in Lavaca