Another member of the Pine Bluff City Council has announced he will challenge Mayor Shirley Washington in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Steven Mays is in his third term as a Ward 4 representative on the City Council. He will face Washington, who is in her first term as mayor, and fellow City Council member Ivan Whitfield, another Democrat who announced his candidacy in May.
"Many city leaders have tried to lead our city government in the right direction, and I'm ready to lead Pine Bluff," Mays said in a news release announcing his candidacy. "I'm asking for just one opportunity to hold the awesome leadership seat as mayor of the great city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas."
Mays was born and raised in Pine Bluff. He attended Pine Bluff High School and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a degree in business administration.
Mays said he is interested in a number of issues facing Pine Bluff, including job creation, public safety, community improvement, redevelopment of the downtown area and development of an arts and entertainment district.
He currently serves as chairman of the City Council's Ways and Means Committee, chairman of the Ordinance and Resolution Committee, and a member of the public works and administration committees.
"My platform is simple," Mays said. "I work for you, Pine Bluff."
State Desk on 07/07/2019