LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AR Money & Politics) – It’s been more than a decade since anyone other than Mark Stodola has occupied 500 Markham St., having served as the mayor of Little Rock since January 2007.
Stodola was elected to his first term in the fall of 2006, besting three challengers in a race that featured no incumbent. He won reelection in 2010 with nearly 85 percent of the vote and went unchallenged in 2014. In May, Stodola decided not to seek a fourth term.
Come January, the Capital City will be under new leadership, as four local leaders vie for the position. In an effort to inform Little Rock voters ahead of next month’s mayoral election, Arkansas Money & Politics has highlighted each candidate, giving them the opportunity to answer some of the questions weighing on voters’ minds. Below is a sample of the questions asked by Arkansas Money & Politics and the candidates’ answers.
To read all of the answers from the candidates, go to the Arkansas Money & Politics story here.
What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Little Rock today? What about five years from now?
The biggest issue facing Little Rock is the organized and nefarious stealth assault on the Little Rock School District by the Walton Family Foundation, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Department of Education Commissioner Johnny Key. Five years from now: Transportation.
WARWICK SABIN
Arkansas State Representative,
Winrock International Senior Director of U.S. Programs
What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Little Rock today? What about five years from now?
The biggest issue facing Little Rock today is crime and public safety. Everywhere I go in our city, I meet people who have been victimized by violent crime, who have been violated by a home burglary or a car break-in, who have called 911 only to get no response. I’ve talked with police officers who feel understaffed and under-resourced, business leaders who can’t recruit employees, real estate agents who can’t sell houses or people who won’t visit or shop…
