I dropped a note to Mayor Mark Stodola last night after hearing a couple of people with close associations with city government predict Stodola ultimately might not run for re-election this year. He faces challenges so far from state Rep. Warwick Sabin and Frank Scott Jr. To my question of whether he’s definitely running again, he said:
Running for re-election, we are polling over 50% favorability in the polls. Heard a little of that too, maybe from my opponents or their supporters?
So there it is. The three-way race is on. That and the race for 2nd District Congress seem likely to generate the most excitement in Little Rock in November. The airways will also be flooded with ads for and against the effort to kill most damage lawsuits and strip the Arkansas Supreme Court of rule-making authority. And, if they can get past Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s blockade of their ballot form, backers of new casinos in the state could be expected to spend a lot of money, too.
Candidates for city office can begin picking up packets to circulate petitions on June 1.