By JOHN HOFHEIMER
AND RICK KRON
Leader staff writers
There will be no new faces on the Jacksonville City Council, one in Lonoke, at least one contest in Sherwood and Ward, but Sherwood could end up with as many as three new aldermen come November.
Candidates for offices in Cabot, Austin and Beebe file in August.
The filing deadline to run for city council seats in Jacksonville, Sherwood and Lonoke was Monday.
Jacksonville and Sherwood have staggered terms, meaning half the council is up for reelection every two years.
In Jacksonville, five aldermen are up for reelection—Marshall Smith, Ward 1, Position 2; Terry Sansing, Ward 2, Position 2; Linda Rinker, Ward 3, Position 2; Bob Stroud, Ward 4, Position 2; and Bill Howard, Ward 5, Position 2.
All five filed to run again and drew no opposition.
But it’s a completely different story in Sherwood.
Alderman David Henry optednot to seek reelection to his Ward 2 Position 2 seat. Vying for that seat will be newcomers Steve Perry and Kevin Lilly.
Alderman Marina Brooks filed for reelection in Ward 3, Position 2, but has opposition as Bill Montgomery has also filed for that seat.
Alderman Steve Fender filed to run for another term representing Ward 4, Position 2. He has not one, but two challengers in Norman Cartwright and Justin Smith.
The only Sherwood alderman given a free pass was Charlie Harmon, Ward 1, Position 1. No one filed to run against him.
City Clerk Treasurer Angela Nicholson also has no opposition in November has she seeks her first full term as city clerk. She was appointed to that position about nine months ago when the former city clerk Virginia Hillman beat out Bill Harmon in a run-off special election for the mayor’s chair.
Kevin McCleary was the last new face to join the Jacksonville council when he was appointed to the council in July 2006 after the death of Alderman Robert Lewis. Before that, Rinker was appointed to the council in May 2004 to complete the unexpired term of Larry Wilson who resigned for personal reasons.
William Todd Wheat, the son of former Lonoke Mayor Jack Wheat and former County Health Director Vada Wheat is likely to be the only new face on the Lonoke City Council in January.
Wheat, a senior lineman for Entergy, is running for the District 2 seat being vacated by Woody Evans.
Wheat’s spent a lot of time recently helping restore power after storms in Carlisle and Stuttgart.
Wheat filed as a Democrat as did incumbents Jane Derning, district 1; Pat Howell, district 3; Wendell Walker, district 4; Efrem Z.
Jones, district 5; Raymond L. Hatton, district 6 and Michael Florence, district 7.
Phillip Howell, who was out of town and missed the filing deadline, will seek reelection to his district 8 seat as an independent, according to Mayor Wayne McGee.
In Ward, where elections are nonpartisan, the only contested raced will be between Charles K. Gastineau, the incumbent, and Ron Bissett for the Ward 3, Position 1.
Unopposed incumbents include Ginger D. Tarno, Ward 1, Position 1; Marrice Jackson Ward 1, Position 2; Glen C. Walden, Ward 2, Position 1; Don Howard, Ward 2, Position 2 and Jeff Shaver, Ward 3 position 2.
Also in Ward, City Clerk John E. Barclay is running unopposed for reelection.
In England aldermanic races, Peggy D. Baker is unopposed for Ward 3, Position 1, as are Rick Douglas, Ward 1, Position 1; Dudley R. Webb Jr., Ward 2, Position 1 and Bill Newton Jr., Ward 2, Position 2. All are Democrats.
