City Council races decided

Agnew, Jones, Fougerousse win their respective runoffs

Daniel Smith (left) is assisted by Sarah Harrison, a Washington County election official, a he picks up his ballot to vote during a runoff election Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at the Yvonne Richardson Center in Fayetteville. In Fayetteville, D’Andre Jones and Tanner Pettigrew are vying for the open Ward 1, Position 2 seat on the city council. Check out nwaonline.com/201202Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk)
Daniel Smith (left) is assisted by Sarah Harrison, a Washington County election official, a he picks up his ballot to vote during a runoff election Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at the Yvonne Richardson Center in Fayetteville. In Fayetteville, D’Andre Jones and Tanner Pettigrew are vying for the open Ward 1, Position 2 seat on the city council. Check out nwaonline.com/201202Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk)

BENTONVILLE — Gayatri Agnew, D’Andre Jones and Mark Fougerousse won city council seats in Tuesday’s runoff election.

The runoffs were for nonpartisan positions in Bentonville, Fayetteville and Springdale. The general election was Nov. 3.

BENTONVILLE

Agnew defeated Jeff Matkins.

Final, unofficial results showed Agnew with 1,242 votes (56%), and Matkins with 969 votes (44%) in the Ward 1, Position 2 race.

Chad Goss, who holds the seat, didn’t seek reelection. Ward 1 covers northeast Bentonville.

Agnew, 39, is a senior director at Walmart.

“I am honored to have the trust of Bentonville and look forward to working together to make Bentonville a community where all feel welcome,” she said in a news release Tuesday night.

Matkins, 41, owns Matkins Greenhouse and Flowers in Bentonville. He is a fifth-generation Bentonville resident.

Bentonville’s City Council is made up of eight members, two in each of four wards. City Council members are elected at-large but represent wards. They must live in their ward.

Council members are paid $808 per month, according to the city website. Position 1 is a two-year term, and Position 2 is a four-year term. The city is gradually moving to all four-year terms.

FAYETTEVILLE

D’Andre Jones defeated Tanner Pettigrew to represent the south part of town.

Final, unofficial results showed Jones with 1,040 votes (72%) to Pettigrew’s 408 votes (28%).

Jones will replace Ward 1 Councilwoman Sarah Marsh, who didn’t seek reelection. Ward 1 covers the southeast part of town, including Walker Park and most of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Jones, 47, is a provisionally licensed social worker and community advocate. He will be the first Black elected member of the City Council.

Jones said he wants to help improve the quality of life for every resident in the city and touted his experience with various organizations and panels as examples of his leadership acumen. He played a key role in the city’s recent adoption of a resolution declaring racism a public health issue.

Pettigrew, 28, is a sales manager and broker for Rausch-Coleman Homes.

Council members earn $1,042 per month and serve four-year terms. Council members are elected by voters who reside within the candidates’ ward.

SPRINGDALE

Final, unofficial results showed Fougerousse with 850 votes (79%) to Kathy Jaycox’s 226 votes (21%).

Jaycox, the incumbent, filed for reelection to serve Ward 4, Position 2, in northeast and central Springdale. She decided to move out of the ward and announced her withdrawal from the race in September. But the Nov. 3 general election ballots already were printed with her name. Jaycox and Fougerousse ended up in the runoff.

Fougerousse received Jay-cox’s endorsement in the runoff election.

Fougerousse, 53, is the environmental, health and safety manager at Rockline Industries.

Fougerousse previously said he is a fiscal conservative.

“I want to make sure the taxpayer money is spent on the right things,” he said.

Jaycox, 73, has served on the council for 22 years. Her term expires Dec. 31.

City Council members serve four-year terms and are paid $900 a month. They are elected at-large but represent wards. They must live in their ward.

The runoff results still have to be certified by the election commissions in Benton and Washington counties.

Mike Jones may be reached by email at mjones@nwadg.com . Stacy Ryburn contributed to this report.

Other runoffs

Other final runoff elections on Tuesday included: Centerton

Ward 1, Position 2

• Amy Rochette defeated Councilwoman Robin Reed by 119 votes (61%) to 75 votes (39%). Lowell

Ward 3, Position 1

• Kendell Stucki defeated Liz Estes by 141 votes (66%) to 74 votes (34%).

Results are unofficial.

Source: Benton County Election

Commission

Upcoming Events