Political newcomer Deshawn Bennett secured the post of constable of Vaugine Township over opponent Bryan Beasley by a wide margin late Tuesday evening.
Complete, but unofficial results show:
• Bennett — 61.85 percent or 2,863 votes
• Beasley — 38.15 percent or 1,766 votes
Bennett, a 37 year old Pine Bluff resident, said that he was feeling good about his chances as he waited for election results to come in Tuesday.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“I am so excited,” Bennett said. “My wife is here and she’s excited as well. We’re just happy to be doing something positive. It’s overwhelming. This is the first time that I have run for something. I have worked hard at it the last three weeks and done some extra campaigning. I’ve got about 200 extra votes from what I received in May.”
Bennett said that he plans to advocate for safer conditions at school crosswalks as constable.
“My plans are based around neighborhood watch and traffic,” Bennett said. “I will be watching traffic at school crosswalks. We have had problems with people zooming on by crosswalks where kindergartners and first graders are present.”
“I plan on being a positive influence on the community,” Bennett said. “I plan on reaching out to every store, every business in this community to let them know who I am.”
Challenger Bryan Beasley was still hopeful as of 9:45 Tuesday night.
“We’re down about 28 percent but I’m still hopeful,” Beasley said. “We’ve still got 30 precincts we’re waiting on. As constable I’ll do the same thing that I do every day, which is work hard and dedicate myself to the people. I’m dedicated to making the city a better place.”