Arkansas House District 71 covers several towns in northern Pulaski County, including Maumelle, Marche, and Amboy.
Stephen Bright is running as the Republican nominee. We were unable to schedule an interview with Bright after several attempts, though the invitation remains open.
Little Rock Public Radio’s Nathan Treece spoke with the Democratic candidate, Cassandra Mayes.
Nathan Treece: Tell me what sparked you to seek this position?
Cassandra Mayes: Well, I ran before in 2024 as Cassandra Green at the Go Green campaign. And basically I'm here again in twenty six for the same reason. In twenty twenty three, my mother suffered a stroke and was also diagnosed with dementia. And during that time, Arkansas Learns had hit. And I was working for little Rock School District. And our district had to make some tough decisions in regards to addressing issues with our budget. There were several of us that had been there for many years, and we had our contracts cut as a part of addressing some of the budget shortfalls. So as I was navigating the health care system with my mother, who I had to move in with me, I was also working and losing money because of a contract cut that I had to adhere to. So at that point, I realized that I could either talk about there being issues going on, or I could be a part of the solution. So I decided to run in '24 and here I am again in '26 for the same reasons.
NT: Tell us a little bit, in just broad strokes, what is your vision for the district?
One of the things that I would like for our community to consider is having our own school district. A lot of people are focusing on learns and the efforts and some of the requirements that school districts are having to meet, as well as some of the restraints or lack thereof on our entities that are receiving FAA dollars. There's been some changes within Pulaski County School District, which is a school district our schools are under right now, and those changes can make a significant difference in how we look in the next few years. And I think it's time for our community, our district, to have a serious conversation as to what we want our schools to look like.
NT: Governor Sanders continues to reduce the state income taxes, gas prices, remaining elevated groceries roughly thirty percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. What do you think the state is doing right for residents' wallets right now?
CM: I think the successes right now is that people are really understanding what's actually going on because it's hitting our pockets. But when we look at the discussion about eliminating the income taxes, when that is done or even discussed, the question is, well, where where is the revenue stream that's going to take up for the money that's been coming in for income taxes? Um, our schools still have to be covered. And with the discussion of the elimination of the income tax and even decreasing property taxes, we have to ask ourselves as citizens, where is this money going to come from? Well, that's when we look at tax shifting. So if the elimination of the income tax or the decrease of income tax goes into place, that means our city taxes are going to increase. That means our county taxes are going to increase. So we have to really be cautious in how we use language and how it's explained because there's no elimination of an income tax. It's tax shifting and it just shows that we will be taxed elsewhere.
NT: And what changes would you like to see?
CM: As an educator, of course, I want our schools to be as strong as ever. And when we look at property taxes, when we look at income taxes, we want our communities to be strong, not only with our education system, but we want to live in areas where our hospitals are open. We want to live in areas where we're able to own a small business and support our employees, because they have somewhere for their child to go for daycare. A lot of our small businesses are really suffering. And I think when we look at, um, the coffee shop owner, um, in Maumelle, or we're looking at the T-shirt shop owner in Maumelle, we're wanting to support them as much as possible. And one of the biggest issues that they're dealing with right now is supporting their employees, but also having to pay payroll taxes. So when we look at that, it's important that we have the right people in Congress as well. But when you look at a state level, um, when we have money, and we're shifting it to other areas where we're not supporting people to where they can go to work, um, and know that their child is in a proper daycare or their child is in an educational setting where they're receiving the education, but their child is also safe. Um, so one of the things that I really want to work on is making sure that our communities are supported, that our schools are strong, and that our small businesses are getting the support that they need so that they can keep quality employees, which means making sure that daycare options are available, and even also supporting the marketplace for our health insurance, making sure that they have options available to provide whatever supports that they need so that their businesses can be successful.
NT: You mentioned one of your big focuses was health care. Of course, we are in a struggling situation with health care, especially for a large portion of the state and even more so around labor and delivery. District 71, what is the situation that you're seeing on the ground right there out there? What do you think needs to change?
CM: When I talk to people out in district seventy one, we really hear very rarely that there's an issue with labor and delivery because we do. We've been blessed to have hospitals around us and doctors who are willing to work in our communities. But what I'm hearing more so from people is similar, similar situations as to the one I'm in, being caregiver to a parent or a loved one. My thing is that I think caregivers who make the sacrifice should definitely be supported. As of right now, there are no tax credits, no tax cuts. Um, there's nothing in place for family members to keep their loved ones at home. People need the support, and it should be based on need and not income.
NT: Well, that gets through everything I had for you. I just want to also open it up to any closing statements you might have.
CM: Well, I think it's important to know that in District 71, we are so different than we were in 2024. Um, we are definitely a purple district now. We are no longer red. And we can say that with pride. We are growing every day. People are moving in, families are moving in, corporations are moving in, and people are upset with what's going on right now. And so I'm excited to be a part of the change. I'm definitely looking forward to making history come November. To be the first Democrat to hold that seat and the first person that's going to go in and to make real change for the people, not only of my district in Maumelle, Marsha, Oak Grove and Amboy, but also in the state of Arkansas. And I'm very excited. And we're looking to win in November. And what we need is for everyone to exercise their right to vote, because we are definitely in for change come November 2026.
NT: Thank you so much.
