LITTLE ROCK — Today opens the threeweek period for municipal candidates to file to be on ballots in the Nov. 6 general election for city-elected positions in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Cammack Village and Wrightsville.
The filing period will end at noon Aug. 17.
Little Rock Board of Directors candidates must file with the city clerk’s office at City Hall. Candidates in the other cities must file at the Pulaski County circuit/county clerk’s office in the Pulaski County Courthouse.
For the first time in 24 years, North Little Rock will have an open race for mayor, as six-term Mayor Patrick Hays announced he won’t seek re-election.
Mark Clinton, a riskmanagement consultant; Joe Smith, the city’s Commerce and Governmental Affairs director; and state Rep. Tracy Steele have already announced their intention to run for mayor in North Little Rock.
North Little Rock aldermen up for re-election include Beth White in Ward 1, Maurice Taylor in Ward 2, Bruce Foutch in Ward 3 and Charlie Hight in Ward 4. North Little Rock City Clerk Diane Whitbey is also up for re-election.
In Little Rock, the three at-large city director positions held by Vice Mayor Dean Kumpuris, Gene Fortson and Joan Adcock are all up for re-election. Ward 4 Director Brad Cazort is also up for re-election.
No major opposition has officially announced their candidacy for those positions as of Thursday.
Adcock, who has been on the board for 20 years, confirmed that she will run for re-election. If she wins, she will be the longest-serving director in Little Rock history.
In Maumelle, all four Position 1 City Council members are up for re-election. They are Tony Brainerd in Ward 1, Jamie Stell Jr., in Ward 2, Doug Ladner in Ward 3 and Steve Ibbotson in Ward 4.
In Wrightsville, all six aldermen are up for re-election. They are Karen Coleman and Marilyn Drain-Murry in Ward 1; Ronald Poe and A.C. Loring in Ward 2; and Mabeline Hansberry and Cassandra Garman in Ward 3.
The Wrightsville recorder/treasurer position has been a combined job, but this election will split the positions into two separate jobs. Sheila Garling has been the recorder/treasurer and announced that she will run for the single treasurer position.
In Cammack Village, all four of the city’s aldermen positions are up for re-election. They are Paul Doramus Jr., Debbie Eldridge, Patricia Finch and Troy Gray. The city attorney and city recorder positions held by David Graf and Mary Lynn Walker, respectively, are also up for re-election.
City candidates in Sherwood and Jacksonville were to file in May before the state’s preferential primary that month.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 07/27/2012