Candidates running for national, state and local political offices gathered at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center Tuesday night to make their case to voters as part of a “Meet the Candidates Forum” sponsored by the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus.
County judge
Two candidates for the position of Jefferson County Judge, which is being vacated by Mike Holcomb at the end of his present term, were given three minutes to state why they should be elected.
Pine Bluff Assistant Police Chief Ivan Whitfield said that his 29 year tenure on the police force and the roots he has developed in Pine Bluff since his arrival from Helena in 1980 have prepared him to work for the interests of Jefferson County residents.
“I want to be county judge because I care about people and I want to create opportunities for them,” Whitfield said. “Instead of building jails we need to be building opportunities. Wherever Pine Bluff goes there goes Jefferson County. A vote for me will not be a disappointment.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Alfred Carroll, District 1 Justice of the Peace and Southwood Elementary School principal, reminded voters that the position of county judge is not a judicial position but is instead an administrative post.
“The county judge is the chief administrator of the county,” Carroll said. “My 32 years in education have prepared me well for such a position. A county judge is not a law judge. The county judge organizes and executes. The county judge is responsible for building upkeep and for the maintenance of roads.”
Former Pine Bluff mayor and candidate for county judge Dutch King contacted The Commercial after the forum had concluded to say that he had not been notified of the event.
“I was completely unaware of the UAPB event,” King said. “I learned about it at a candidates event earlier Tuesday night at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. That concerns me. That’s just not right. I would have been there if I had known about it. I’m not hard to get a hold of. I’m very easy to contact. I apologize to UAPB.”
Quorum Court
District 4 Justice of the Peace Mandy Alford said that she is ready to continue to serve the needs of her constituents.
“I have been on the Quorum Court for six years and would like to go back and keep doing what I am doing,” Alford said. “Which is finding ways to get services to the people of Jefferson County.”
PB mayor
Pine Bluff mayoral candidate and business entrepreneur Clarence Davis said that he wants to bring Pine Bluff back to its glory days when people considered it a desirable place to live and work.
“I love people and being around people,” Davis said. “I want to help people to accomplish things. I am a business owner and have a number of cell phone accessory businesses around the state. I want the people of Pine Bluff to have the same entrepreneurial skills that I have. Pine Bluff has a tarnished image. People used to want to to go to Pine Bluff and I want that to happen again.”
Arkansas Supreme Court
Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Abramson said that he will bring small town values to the post of Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 4.
“I was born and raised in Holly Grove and still live there,” Abramson said. “It is a small town. That background says a lot about me. I was a lawyer in Clarendon for 30 years before being appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Mike Beebe in 2010. Lucky for me Jim Gunner decided to retire from the Supreme Court and I am running for that seat. Because I was appointed to the Court of Appeals I can’t seek another term there.”
“I believe in the small town values of fairness, honesty and integrity,” Abramson said. “I believe in equal access to justice for everyone. I will give everyone equal footing. I am also a believer in community service and believe that everyone should have access to health care.”
U.S. Congress (Fourth District)
D. C. Morrison of Little Rock is running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Fourth Congressional District and wants voters to know that he is someone who fixes things.
“I grew up in Jonesboro on a cotton farm, attended Arkansas State University and first came to Pine Bluff in 1976 working with an agricultural chemical company,” Morrison said. “I’m a guy that fixes things. I am pretty self-reliant. An ideas guy. Fayetteville shale is pretty cheap but urea fertilizer is selling for $865 a ton. I would like to build a urea fertilizer plant in Pine Bluff that would cost $2 billion and would employ 100 people. These will be good jobs. Each one of these jobs will generate five to six other jobs in the community.”
Raymond Frazier spoke on behalf of Q. Byrum Hurst.
“Byrum Hurst was born and raised in Hot Springs,” Frazier said. “The reason he is running is that he loves public service. He wants to work to create jobs and will do whatever he can to protect Social Security and Medicare.”