Races underway for mayor, clerk and treasurer

The upcoming primary election in Pine Bluff is set to be a hotly contested affair, with competitive races in several key positions, including the Democratic nomination for mayor, city treasurer and city clerk. With early voting already underway and election day fast approaching on March 5, candidates in each race have been actively campaigning and trying to woo voters.

MAYORAL RACE

In the race for mayor, incumbent Mayor Shirley Washington is seeking another term while her opponents are seeking to take her place, all expressing their dissatisfaction with the current state that the city of Pine Bluff is in.

Washington is facing a challenge from former city Council Member Joni Alexander-Robinson, State Rep. Vivian Flowers, current Council Member Steven Mays Sr., former Parks & Recreation Director under Washington’s administration Samuel Glover, and newcomer to politics Charles Washington.

Washington touts her record of accomplishments while the other candidates emphasize why it’s time for a change.

From assessing the recent performance of Go Forward Pine Bluff, crime prevention, and their strategy for improving the quality of life to what sets them apart from the other mayoral candidates, read what the candidates have to say at pbcommercial.com/225pbmayor/.

CITY TREASURER RACE

City Treasurer Greg Gustek is seeking reelection and faces a challenge from former retired city clerk Loretta Whitfield. Whitfield cites her experience in law enforcement and municipal administration as her edge as the former city clerk of 16 years. Visit pbcommercial.com/225pbtreasurer/ to learn more about your city treasurer candidates.

CITY CLERK RACE

Finally, the race for city clerk is a contest between incumbent Janice Roberts, who was elected in 2020 after Whitfield retired, and Mary Liddell, who has worked the last seven years as a floater for the city of Pine Bluff.

Roberts is running on her experience and her commitment to promoting and applying transparency while Liddell, the city’s 2020 Census Coordinator, is running on a platform of already having working relationships with at least 15 city offices and several department heads — all of which you can read about by visiting pbcommercial. com/225pbclerk/.

With so many competitive races on the ballot, the upcoming primary election in Pine Bluff is sure to be a closely watched event, as candidates make their final pitches to voters and try to secure their nominations.