Hash out; Luther and Lutman prepare for runoff

Ward 3 poll workers Joyce Williams, left, and Clevester Williams, center, watch as Teresa Golliher signs in to vote during the primary election Tuesday. Terrance Armstard/News-Times
Ward 3 poll workers Joyce Williams, left, and Clevester Williams, center, watch as Teresa Golliher signs in to vote during the primary election Tuesday. Terrance Armstard/News-Times

Mayor Frank Hash’s bid for a third mayoral term came to an end Tuesday, while challengers Bill Luther and Chris Lutman prepare for a runoff election in June.

Luther and Lutman grabbed a majority of the votes during the Republican preferential primary election, though neither got 50-plus percent, according to the unofficial election results provided by the Union County Election Commission.

Hash led among absentee voters with 14 ballots. Luther garnered six absentee votes, while five voters cast absentee ballots Lutman.

A total of 80 absentee ballots were cast in all races in Union County.

El Dorado citizens who voted early favored Luther with 244 votes, compared to 165 for Lutman and 164 for Hash.

A breakdown of votes for the city’s four precincts was not available by press time Tuesday.

Luther won 516 votes, beating out incumbent Hash (308). With 374 votes, Lutman will move on to the runoff against Luther on June 19.

Both said they will continue to work on their campaigns in the weeks leading up to the election.

Luther said he will expound on his plan to grow El Dorado.

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Bill Luther

”I want to remind voters that this race doesn’t end until Nov. 6. It is important that we remain engaged in the process,” Luther said. “The next step is on June 19 when the run-off for mayor takes place. Again, thanks to all that supported our campaign.”

Come Jan. 1, 2019, the city will have a new mayor, and Luther thanked Hash for his nearly seven and half years of service to the city.

“Frank and I share a deep affection for making El Dorado a great place. I wish him all the best,” Luther said.

With a promise of people over politics, Luther cited his experience in the public and private sector as the reason his decided to run for mayor.

The recently retired customer service manager for Entergy’s El Dorado area said that if elected, he will focus on creating new jobs; keep existing businesses growing; repairing streets and fixing potholes; providing a high level of public services; picking up litter and cleaning up our city; and providing the basic essential services of police and fire protection.

While he was disappointed in the low voter turnout for the Republican primary, Lutman said he will spend the next several weeks devising a new campaign strategy to urge voters to visit the polls during the runoff.

“I’m just really speechless. I have more (campaign) signs in people’s yards than votes,” Lutman said. “I was just hurt that the early voting numbers were so low.”

A total of 1,198 votes were cast in the Republican primary for the mayoral race.

Lutman noted that all of the yard signs he posted were requested by the residents of those properties.

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Chris Lutman

Once it was determined that the Republican primary would be a three-way race, Lutman said the general consensus pointed to a likely runoff.

“The big prayer in our household was, ‘Lord, we need closure,’ and we didn’t get that,” Lutman said.

“So, it’s going to be all hands on deck. I’m going to be working the phones and social media. It’s going to be difficult getting people back out for a runoff,” he said. “People are going to have to figure out who they want as the next mayor to make the difference they’re looking for, and the obvious choice is me.”

Lutman, community relations supervisor for the El Dorado Police Department, is believed to be the first active-duty city police officer to challenge an incumbent mayor for the city’s top elected post.

His role as an EPD officer has allowed him to meet with a cross-section of the community and hear the concerns from many people in the city’s four wards, Lutman has said.

He also said the key issue for El Dorado is a lack of consistency in city government and services.

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic candidate Veronica Smith-Creer, the first African-American woman to run for El Dorado mayor, in the November general election.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].

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