(File photo)The candidate filing period for municipal races ended at noon Wednesday, leaving a short list of people who hope to win (or keep) seats in the Nov. 8 election.
The mayor’s seat is not up for grabs, but each of the four Position 1 seats on the City Council will be on the ballot this year, as well as the city attorney’s position. With only six people filing to run for City Council this year, Fayetteville voters will only see two contested seats.
Early voting begins Oct. 24.
As always, we’ll have more information about the candidates in the coming weeks. For now, here’s a summary of the incumbents, along with the names of those who will share the ballot.
Ward 1, Position 1
Councilmember Sonia Harvey is running unopposed and will begin her second term next year as a Ward 1 representative.
Harvey won the 2018 runoff election with 67% of the votes, defeating Olivia Trimble (33%). The two advanced to a runoff after Harvey took 41% of the votes in the general election, with Trimble taking 39%. A third candidate, Kris Paxton, received 20% in the general election.
In Arkansas, a candidate must win a 50 percent majority of the votes or receive more than 40 percent and be ahead of the runner-up by 20 percent to avoid a runoff.
Harvey has so far been present for 95 out of 100 City Council meetings, for a 95% attendance rate.
Ward 1 encompasses south and southeast Fayetteville, including the areas south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Huntsville Road. Mount Sequoyah, Happy Hollow Elementary, and Ramay Junior High School are also included in Ward 1.
Ward 2, Position 1
Councilmember Mark Kinion is seeking a fourth term in Ward 2.
Kinion won his third term in the 2018 general election after taking 71% of the votes, defeating challengers Raymond Burks (17%) and Martin Bemberg (11%). * Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Bemberg received 17% and Burks received 11%. That error has been corrected.
Kinion first ran for City Council in 2008, but lost a close race to Matthew Petty. He ran again in 2010 and won the seat over Adam Fire Cat. Kinion was re-elected in 2014 when he defeated challengers Robert Patton and Joshua Crawford.
Kinion has so far been present for 285 out of 297 City Council meetings, for a 96% attendance rate.
Challenging Kinion this year is Sarah Moore, executive director of the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition.
Ward 2, which is typically associated with the downtown and Dickson Street areas, includes portions of the University of Arkansas campus and stretches west past Garland Avenue to Asbell Elementary School, and north to the Washington County Fairgrounds. The ward also includes the businesses along College Avenue in midtown, and many historic districts including Wilson Park.
Ward 3, Position 1
Councilmember Sloan Scroggin is seeking a second term in Ward 3.
Scroggin won the 2018 general election with 51% of the votes against challenger Lucas Regnier (49%).
Scroggin has so far been present for 97 out of 100 City Council meetings, for a 97% attendance rate.
Challenging Scroggin this year is Scott Berna, owner of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home.
Ward 3 includes several neighborhoods in northeast Fayetteville, including the Huntingdon and Candlewood subdivisions, as well as the newer multi-family complexes in the uptown area. Gulley Park, Fiesta Square, Lake Fayetteville, and the Northwest Arkansas Mall are also in Ward 3.
Ward 4, Position 1
Councilmember Teresa Turk is running unopposed and will begin her second term next year as a Ward 4 representative.
Turk won the 2018 runoff election with 66% of the votes after defeating incumbent John La Tour (34%). The two advanced to a runoff after Turk took 45% of the votes in the general election, with La Tour taking 44%. A third candidate, Adam Fire Cat, received 11% in the general election.
Turk has so far been present for 99 out of 100 City Council meetings, for a 99% attendance rate.
Ward 4 contains a large portion of west Fayetteville, including Holt Middle School, Holcomb Elementary School, and the Boys & Girls Club of Fayetteville.
City Attorney
City Attorney Kit Williams will begin a sixth term next year since he is runnning unopposed in the Nov. 8 election.
The former private attorney and assistant county prosecutor has spent nearly 22 years serving as the city’s top legal adviser. Before that, Williams served six years as a member of the Fayetteville City Council.
Williams has run unopposed since the Fayetteville Flyer began publishing election coverage in 2008.
