The seat for Ward 2 of the Little Rock City Board is open for the first time in 20 years.
Incumbent City Director Ken Richardson has represented Ward 2 since 2007, but isn’t seeking reelection after two years of being absent from city board meetings. A whopping five candidates are eager to take his place.
You won’t hear these five candidates spending much time on Richardson in their campaigns. They have big plans for Ward 2, the Southwest Little Rock district that’s bisected by Interstate 30 and spans east Baseline and Geyer Springs Roads. Ward 2 is majority Black and has the highest population of Hispanic residents in Little Rock.
Michael Hernandez is the lone millennial candidate.
“I want to be somebody who gives Ward 2 the respect, the representation, that it deserves.”
Dwight Townsend has been Senior Pastor at Longley Baptist Church on Geyer Springs Road for more than 20 years.
“I'm running because I believe that I am the Called Person to put the light back in Ward 2.”
Longtime public service professional Stephanie Johnson has a five-point plan.
“Environmental health, quality education, infrastructure and public safety.”
Then there’s the six-point plan from Chicot Neighborhood Association President Tashan O’Neal.
“Equity, equality, education, empowerment, economic development, and enforcement.”
Tony Miller doesn’t have a seven-point plan, but he prides himself on his longtime role as a substitute teacher.
“I'm a long-term sub at Little Rock Southwest Magnet High School. As much as I try to teach those knuckleheads, they can teach me some things,” Miller said at a candidate forum for Wards 2 and 7 last month. “I talk with them and I find out they have problems at home that we can help with. [I started] doing that not because of a title. I did it because there was a need.”
The candidates generally agree on which issues are most important to Ward 2: economic development, housing, community blight, and public safety.
They also have deep ties to the area. Townsend drew criticism from residents for living in Saline County until shortly before filing for election. But Townsend says he’s been serving the people of Ward 2 for more than 20 years as Senior Pastor at Longley Baptist Church.
“The Longley Baptist church sits smack dab in the middle of Ward 2,” Townsend told Little Rock Public Radio. “So I know these people.”
Miller and O’Neal emphasize years of working in their community.
“I've been there for forty six years and I've been a part of the community. I've always been available to do things, whether they have neighborhood cleanups. I've always been there for the meetings,” Miller said.
“I know how to create ordinances, I know how to read ordinances and Southwest Little Rock–because of lack of leadership–we're playing catch up and we need somebody that can get in there that knows how the game goes,” O’Neal said. “[Somebody] who's worked with the mayor, Joan, B.J., housing, all those departments and has built relationships with them.”
Hernandez grew up in Ward 2 and says Hispanic and Latino residents are underrepresented on the City board.
“I emphasize a lot of the Hispanic and Latino community, because we do lack representation and somebody who is able to connect with them. But those same things that I do promise. That goes for every resident in Ward 2. You know, safety, somebody who's accessible, somebody who pushes code enforcement,” Hernandez said.
And Johnson, who’s worked in finance at various state agencies, says she’s long seen economic potential in Southwest Little Rock.
“I like to live in Ward 2 because I first went to Southwest Little Rock as a college student and just continued to progress professionally. And Southwest Little Rock was always a good place of transition. You could move through the economic strata, and you could still find a place to feel at home,” Johnson said.
The candidates have different approaches to building Ward 2’s economy today. Townsend believes the solution is to bring in big businesses.
“We want to attract more businesses, big industry, we want them to come to Ward 2. Like the old days of Ward 2 in the late 80s and 1990s, Ward 2 was a place that a lot of people really loved to come to,” Townsend said.
O’Neal echoes a lack of entertainment options, but focuses on aiding businesses already in Ward 2.
“We have LLCs from out of state who have taken over our community, who have abandoned buildings. We need to take back our community,” O’Neal said at the September candidate forum. “We can no longer sit back and allow dollars to go to other communities. We don't have anything in Southwest Little Rock as far as entertainment and such. You can use small businesses, use the land bank, open those up and have the community centers and things that we need to be safety nets for each other.”
Hernandez and Johnson agree.
“I feel that Ward 2 has a lot of investment already. I'm a firm believer that by, you know, helping our current ones that are there and [helping] them flourish and [helping] them grow, you know, it's a better idea than to bring in new businesses to come in,” Hernandez said.
“You can find pretty much any ethnic dish that you would like in Southwest Little Rock,” Johnson said. “One of the drivers that is important to me for economic development in Southwest, is to keep that diversity of business opportunities, as well as maintaining the affordability as the community grows.”
Miller has a two-fold approach: less regulation for businesses and more jobs for unhoused people.
“From talking to some businesses, I realized there’s some unnecessary red tape,” Miller said. “We need to eliminate that or reduce that to keep from running off new businesses. Because we have the space, we have the workers that are willing to work. And I say we use the homeless people to work for us.”
When it comes to flock cameras, the candidates’ approaches range from full-on skepticism to cautious optimism. Like Townsend, who says this technology is helpful if used the right way.
“We need to make sure that the flock cameras are being accessed by the right people doing the right things with them,” Townsend told Little Rock Public Radio. “They do help the law enforcement. … so we just have to find a balance there.”
Johnson has a similar view, but says there are signs of over-surveillance.
“Being able to use those cameras to gain forensic data in terms of helping to solve a problem, I think that's something that's worthy of consideration,” Johnson said. “So, I don't really like the idea of all of the surveillance. I think it's an overreach.”
Hernandez takes a stronger stance against flock cameras.
“I've heard stories that, you know, flock cameras being used to track specific people… that's when it crosses the line between public safety and surveillance,” he said.
O’Neal and Miller focus on community policing and an increased police presence.
“If no police [go] there, what's the good? People say, oh, we need these things because they find stolen cars. We have GPS for that,” O’Neal said. “I need some bigger stats on some bigger crimes that were solved through that.”
“I really believe the flock cameras, from what I've read, [are] somewhat of an invasion of, I could say, privacy. So if we can hire more police officers, even cadets, I think that would make a difference,” Miller said. “And I don't see a problem with letting a cadet have an old police vehicle and drive it home. I think the presence of a police vehicle should help.”
In appealing to voters, most of the candidates tout years of life experience and community service work. Like Townsend, through his church.
“I've been building relationships in the community, whether it's through school partnerships, organizations, working with people, advocating for voter rights, you know, pushing people to the polls,” Townsend said.
O’Neal, as President of Chicot Neighborhood Association.
“And through that position, I've been able to get bus stops up and down baseline and Geyer Springs, get three hundred thousand dollars for Thom Park to be remodeled, help residents to get speed bumps, street lights,” O’Neal said. “So I have been putting in the work for twenty years free of charge.”
Miller says wisdom comes with age.
“I had someone ask me, ‘did I think my age had anything to do with whether it's going to be a positive or a negative?’ And I said, it's going to be a positive,” Miller said. “Just because you're young doesn't mean you're going to have better ideas. I feel that an older person who's been around and seen some things; we know there's a better way of doing anything.”
Johnson highlights her professional experience.
“I've worked at most every level of public service. And this is, after all, a public service position,” Johnson said.
But Hernandez says he brings a new perspective.
“Well, what I bring is definitely new visions, new ideas. I do know that I am the youngest, but just my experiences living there and seeing the needs of the community, working in the community… I feel that I bring not just professional experience, but also education,” Hernandez said.
Early voting starts October 19 and Election Day is November 3.
