Voters eye Arkansas-side candidates at forum, straw poll

A straw poll conducted by NAACP’s Miller County, Ark., branch on Thursday provided a glimpse at local voter sentiment less than two weeks from Election Day.

After most Arkansas-side candidates made brief pitches to a small gathering at the Ozan Inghram/Iron Mountain Neighborhood Center, attendees cast ballots indicating who they preferred.

In the race for Justice of the Peace, District 2, Republican Janet B. Green won the straw poll, beating Democrat Laney J. Harris by a vote of 10 to 3. Harris arrived late to the forum and left before a 30-minute session of questions from the audience.

Incumbent Tim Johnson won the poll in the race for the Ward 3 seat on the Texarkana, Ark., Board of Directors despite being absent from the forum Thursday. Johnson was out of town because of the birth of his granddaughter, and local activist Ermer Pondexter spoke on his behalf.

Johnson received 7 straw poll votes, challenger Steven Hollibush came in second with 5 votes, and challenger LaTanya Deniece Blair got 1 vote.

In the race for the Ward 5 seat on the Board of Directors, challenger Chris Voan edged incumbent Barbara Miner by a vote of 6 to 5.

Larry D. Manley, president of the Texarkana, Ark., School District Board of Directors, is running for re-election unopposed but spoke to the audience for a few minutes about current events in the district. He received 11 straw poll votes.

Democratic nominee for governor Jared K. Henderson spoke and then left, saying he was honored to attend but was eager to get home after a long day of campaigning across the state.

Early voting continues through Nov. 5 on the first floor of the Miller County

Courthouse, 400 Laurel St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the final day, Nov. 5.

Early voting will also be available at the Stanley Davis Community Center, 203 E. Redcut Road in Fouke, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

In Arkansas, polls on Election Day, Nov. 6, will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Staff photo by Hunt Mercier ■ Jared Henderson, Democratic candidate for Arkansas governor, speaks at the candidates forum hosted by Miller County NAACP on Thursday in Texarkana, Ark.