Hi Community Members!
Candidate filing for nonpartisan local offices ended at noon on Wednesday. The email below recaps the nonpartisan races Benton County residents will see on their ballot in 2024. I’ll share more information closer to the election.
Also, a big THANK YOU to the members of this community who had discussions with me about running for office, connected me to friends and family who should run for office, and those who continue to advocate for our common causes. I couldn’t do this without you!
Not sure what districts you will see on your ballot? Check your voter registration HERE and once your information displays, scroll to the bottom of the page and expand the Districts section on the bottom right side.
Notes on the candidate information below:
Names are in the order they filed and as the candidate name was listed on the county filing documentation
W is Ward, P is position, * indicates an incumbent
If I indicated that no one has filed for a position in your city ward… reach out to me if you or someone you know may be interested in pursing an appointment to that position!
Benton County Municipal Offices
Mayoral races were only up in cities with populations > 50,000 as of the latest census (e.g., Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale)
Avoca - 2 year terms
Position 1 - Travis Aikins
Position 2 - Jeannie Smith Rollins*
Positions 3, 4, and 5 had no filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
Bella Vista - 4 year terms
W1, P1: Joel Steinle, Councilman Jerry Snow*, Travis Harp, and Frosty Merritt
W2, P1: Shea Newport and Jeremy D. Bridges
W3, P1: Council Member Doug Fowler*, Anna Isbell, and Mark W. Bradley
Bentonville - 4 year terms
Mayor: Steve Galen and Mayor Stephanie Orman*
City Clerk: City Clerk Malorie Marrs*
City Attorney: Nicholas “Nick” Henry and R. Garrett Ham
W1, P2: City Council Member Gayatri Agnew*
W2, P2: City Council Member Chris W. Sooter*
W3, P2: Council Member W.P. “Bill” Burckart* and Sara Folkins
W4, P2: City Council Member Holly Hook*, Jocelyn Lampkin, and Nick Slagle
Cave Springs - 2 year terms
W1, P1: Councilman Jeremy Cobb*
W1, P2: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W2, P1: Mahmoud “MC” Chitsazan*
W2, P2: John “JJ” Thompson*
W3, P1: Howard M. Middlecamp*
W3, P2: Council Member Erica L. Velasquez*
Centerton - 4 year terms
W1, P1: Council Member Cody Miles*
W2, P1: Council Member Keith Higginbotham*, Wendy Henson, Joe Rhine, and Michael Commet
W3, P1: Joshua Hagan
Decatur - 2 year terms
City Clerk: Kim Wilkins City Clerk*
W1, P1: Council Member Sandra L. Duncan* and Sheila Verser
W1, P2: Councilman Randy Boone*
W2, P1: Council Member John David Johnson* and James Jessen
W2, P2: Danny Harrington* and Robert B. Short
W3, P1: Guy B. Wakefield
W3, P2: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
Garfield - 2 year terms
Recorder/Treasurer: Christal Allen*
W1, P1: Barry Kitterman*
W1, P2: Gina Kinston and Jon Rambo*
W2, P1: Shawn Smead*
W2, P2: Council Member Jim Tesselink*
Gateway - 2 year terms
P1: Don A. Deckard* and Chrissy DeSantiago
P2: Steve Guck*
P3: Sharon Barnett*
P4: Justin Bull
P5: Danny K. Rothfus*
Gentry - 4 year terms
W1, P1: Council Member Jason Barrett*
W2, P1: Council Member Dan Erskin*
W3, P1: Council Member Michael Crawford*
W4, P1: Council Member Janice Arnold*
Gravette - 4 year terms
W1, P2: Jeff A. Davis*
W2, P2: Donnie Willis Turner*
W3, P2: Larry L. Weihe* and Desireen Whitten
Highfill - 2 year terms
Recorder/Treasurer: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W1, P1: Matthew Summitt
W1, P2: Jessica Wilmoth
W2, P1: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W2, P2: Justin Allen*
W3, P1: Shai Idelman*
W3, P2: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
Little Flock - 4 year terms
Recorder/Treasurer: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W1, P1: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W2, P1: Sherry Moncrief and Natalie Tibbs
W3, P1: Deborah Formanek*
Lowell - 4 year terms
W1, P1: Emilee Reach and Bill Adams*
W2, P1: Rodney Judy and Roy Brunson*
W3, P1: Andrew McIndoe and Scott Mendham
W4, P1: Dwayne Snyder and Council Member Steve Whitehead*
Pea Ridge - 4 year terms
W1, P1: Matt Blood and Bobby Morrison
W2, P1: Steven B. Guthrie*, Michael Alldredge, and Wendy Harding
W3, P1: Councilman Cody Keene*
Rogers - 4 years
Mayor: Justice of the Peace Chris Latimer and Mayor Greg Hines*
City Clerk Jessica M. Rush*
W1, P2: Council Member Betsy Reithemeyer* and Chris Collins
W2, P2: Council Member Margaret “Marge” Wolf*, Colin A. Cope, and Carissa Cummings
W3, P2: Mandel G. Samuels, Hayes Minor, Jessica Edmond, and Alicia Hayes
W4, P2: Cyndall Hill and Council Member Roger Surly*
Siloam Springs - 4 years
Mayor: Judy Nation
P5 (At-Large): Reid Carroll*, Kevin Williams, and Jason Lanker
P6 (At-Large): Nathaniel Gunneman, Brad Burns, and Mark Long
P7 (At-Large): Don C. Clark II and David E. Allen*
Springtown - 2 years
P1: Councilman Charles Bostwick*
P2: Council Member Janet Bostwick*
P3: Council Member Chris Taylor*
P4: Sami Lynn Ruis and Mandi Taylor
P5: David L. Clark
Sulphur Springs - 2 years
Recorder/Treasurer: Carolyn Hazzard
W1, P1: Mike Larson
W1, P2: No filers. It is likely that the mayor and council will have to appoint residents once the 2024 election has been certified.
W2, P1: Kamey Kelvinson and Jennifer Thurlo
W2, P2: Kimberly A. Mullins
W3, P1: William L. Medley
W3, P2: Michael Driver
Other Benton County Elections
Beaver Water District - Benton County Rep; 6 year terms
Mary L Gardner*
Bentonville School District - Zone 2; 5 year term
Reisha Bravo and Jennifer Faddis School Board Member*
Northwest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees; 6 year terms
Zone 6: Trustee Mark Scott* and Margaret Mouser
Zone 7: Mary MW Schneider
Zone 9: Joe Spivey* and Candice Bright
Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz!
Since my last newsletter, Vice President Harris announced her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz! Read “Five things to know about Tim Walz” from Steve Karnowski and John Hanna at the AP.
Check your Voter Registration
Please check to ensure your voter registration is accurate and then encourage your friends and family in Arkansas to check/update their registration before the general election deadline (sooner is better).
Voter Registration Deadlines in Arkansas for the Nov. 5th General Election:
Oct. 7th - Last day to register as a new voter in Arkansas
Nov. 1st (close of business) - Last day to update your voter address if it is in a different county
Address changes within a county can be updated through election day (but it's better to do it early - You can call the County Clerk's office and do this over the phone)
Absentee Ballots:
If you are going to be absent or cannot vote in person, complete your application as soon as you can; last day to request will be Nov. 1st (close of business).
Deadlines for Delivery of Voted Ballot to County Clerk:
In Person: by close of business the Friday BEFORE the election.
By Designated Bearer: by close of business the Friday BEFORE the election.
By Mail: received at clerks office by 7:30 p.m. ON election day
By Authorized Agent: by 7:30 p.m. ON election day