Catsavis Leads Fort Smith Mayoral Race by 1,818 Votes

City Director Christina Catsavis and Daniel Williams will face off in a December 1 runoff to determine the next mayor of Fort Smith. The top two candidates emerged from a seven-person field in Tuesday's general election, with neither securing the majority required to win outright.

According to final unofficial results from Sebastian County, Catsavis received 7,091 votes, accounting for 35% of the total. Williams finished second with 5,273 votes, or 26%. The gap between the two finalists stands at 1,818 votes. A total of 20,276 ballots were cast in the mayoral contest.

Shayne McKinney placed third with 3,604 votes, representing 17.8% of the total. Ward 2 City Director Lee Kemp followed with 2,825 votes, or 13.9%. Sara Harrison received 709 votes, Yvette C. Powers received 507 votes, and Nataylia Deer received 267 votes.

Catsavis stated that her campaign had anticipated the possibility of a runoff. "We’ve worked really hard, and I think it shows," she said. "We certainly knew this runoff was a possibility, and we looked at multiple scenarios that could take place, so we’re prepared to hit the ground running tomorrow." She noted that she expects to campaign through the Thanksgiving holiday, as the runoff is scheduled just days after the feast.

Catsavis also cited voter support for changing Fort Smith's form of government. "I feel good about it. I think this was a change election, and I think that it shows that people are tired of the status quo and they’re ready to move into the future," she said.

Williams expressed confidence in his campaign's momentum in a statement issued Tuesday. "Fort Smith voters sent this race to a December 1 runoff, and I’m excited about the momentum this campaign has built over the last couple of weeks," he said. He highlighted his platform, which includes no new taxes, a written plan for every ward, responsible budgeting, and real transparency. "Our message (no new taxes, a written plan for every ward, responsible budgeting, and real transparency) resonated across the city, and it will win on December 1," Williams said.

Krystal Cadelli and Casey Millspaugh won at-large seats on the Fort Smith Board of Directors without advancing to runoffs. In the Position 5 race, Cadelli received 9,195 votes, or 50.9%, securing the seat by 169 votes over the majority threshold. Former City Director Lavon Morton finished second with 4,107 votes. Molly Radhakrishnan received 2,457 votes, and Quinton Cunningham received 2,293 votes.

In the Position 6 race, Millspaugh received 8,970 votes, or 51%, winning by 175 votes over the majority threshold. Brian Trumbly finished second with 4,755 votes, and Carl Nevin received 3,865 votes. Incumbent City Director Neal Martin was reelected to Position 7 without opposition and did not appear on the ballot.

The winner of the mayoral runoff will succeed Mayor George McGill, who did not seek reelection after serving two four-year terms. The new mayor and board members will take office on January 1, 2027. The November election marked the first contested general election for Fort Smith mayor since 2010, when Sandy Sanders defeated incumbent Ray Baker.