Eudora Mayor Tomeka Butler has filed to run for the Arkansas State Senate District 1 seat, entering the special election to fill the vacancy created by former Sen. Ben Gilmore’s resignation.
Butler, a Democrat, filed her candidacy at 11:57 a.m. Thursday, July 16th, just minutes before the noon filing deadline.
She is the only Democratic candidate to file for the seat and will represent the party in the November 3rd special election.
The Republican nominee will be decided during a special primary election Aug. 18 between Laura “Missy” Wardlaw of Hermitage and Harrell Wilson of the Staves community.
Senate District 1 covers much of southeast Arkansas, including all of Cleveland, Ashley, Bradley and Drew counties, along with portions of Chicot, Desha, Grant, Jefferson and Lincoln counties.
Butler said her decision to enter the race came after learning the seat could potentially go uncontested.
She said her campaign will focus on issues affecting residents across Southeast Arkansas, including the cost of living, health care access and public education.
Butler has served as mayor of Eudora since 2020, when she became the first African American woman and first woman of color elected to lead the city.
She took office during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has focused her administration on municipal infrastructure, water quality, public safety and managing limited city resources.
A lifelong Eudora resident, Butler is the youngest of seven children.
She graduated valedictorian of Eudora High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University and a Master of Business Administration degree.
Her public service background includes leadership roles with the Arkansas Black Mayors Association, the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District Chief Elected Officials, the Arkansas Municipal League’s Advisory Council for Economic Development and the Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation.
Butler is also a Level II Certified Municipal League Officer, a 2023 graduate of the Community Development Institute and a recipient of the 2023 Ernest Whitelaw Award.
The Republican candidates seeking the nomination include Wilson, who serves as president of the Cleveland County School Board, sits on the AgHeritage Board of Directors, operates a family-owned hardwood sawmill and farms timber.
Wardlaw works as a veterans healthcare coordinator helping military veterans access medical care and benefits.
She is married to District 94 State Representative Jeff Wardlaw, who is unable to seek another term due to term limits.
