DeShawn Bennett and Bryan Beasley will face each other in a runoff Tuesday for constable for the township of Vaugine. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
During the primary election May 22, Bennett received 2,479 votes (46.17 percent) while Beasley had a total of 1,261 votes (23.49 percent). Both running as Democrats. They were the top vote getters in a four person race that also included Jody O’Mary and Johnathan Fallis.
Bennett
Thursday, Bennett said he has added more people to his campaign party, including family members.
“I’ve got my three girls out there helping me hold up signs and they’re just loving it,” he said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Bennett said he is feeling really good about the runoff.
“It’s almost like I’m running for the first time,” Bennett said.
Bennett believed the reason he did not receive enough votes to win in the previous election was because he was focusing on going to school, working and running his campaign.
The one main thing he feels his opponent should be worried about is all of the hard work he has put forth.
“You know, we campaigned side by side,” he said of Beasley. “It’s the best man wins kind of race. We will still be friends after the runoff.”
Bennett has gained a few more supporters, he said, adding that he has been asking people everywhere he goes to get out and vote in the runoff.
“My daughters have even been wearing their campaign shirts, they are just ready to help,” he said.
Bennett is a resident of Pine Bluff and works as Chief of Police in Wabbaseka. He is a 1993 graduate of Pine Bluff High School where he became a professional welder after graduating.
Beasley
Beasley is also feeling optimistic about the runoff. He has changed up his campaign by going out into the neighborhoods and talking to citizens within the community. He has been speaking, handing out fliers and holding up signs.
“When I talk to them, I just remind them to go vote,” Beasley said.
Beasley is feeling pretty confident that the race will be in his favor this time around, explaining that he believes he has gained about 30 percent more of the votes.
“I expect to get more than the 50 percent necessary to win,” he said.
Beasley believes he’s the better choice, adding that he has an outgoing personality.
He said he feels the reason he did not get the votes he needed previously was due to the fact that his name was at the bottom of the ballot.
“You know when you get people in there that don’t know who to vote for they’re just going to pick the first name they see,” Beasley said.
Beasley plans to get together with Sheriff Gerald Robinson and formulate a plan to clean the area of crime if he wins Tuesday.
He also wants to ride along with deputies to get a first-hand look at what is going on throughout the community.
Beasley lives in Pine Bluff and is a 1998 graduate of Watson Chapel High School. He is also a 2004 graduate from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.