Baxter County Justice of the Peace candidates for 5 districts will participate in a live political forum at KTLO Tuesday morning ahead of the March 3 Republican Preferential Primary.
The forum will begin at 9 Tuesday morning and will be broadcast live on KTLO FM 97.9 as well as streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube at KTLO Streaming. Candidates will answer presubmitted questions from the public as well as debate topics presented by the moderator. The public will be able to submit further questions during the event by commenting on the live video feeds on Facebook and YouTube.
Map of Baxter County JP Districts:
With early voting beginning in just over a week, voters in Baxter County will decide the future leadership of five of eleven districts on the Quorum Court.
District 2, which covers the north western corner of the county and along Highways 5 and 201 N, will see incumbent Republican JP Mike McDonald face off against Republican Teia Peters. McDonald ,who has served one term on the court, has been a resident in Baxter County for over 50 years. He worked for Farmers and Merchants Bank for 26 years as a facilities manager and retired in 2022. Peters, who has lived in the county for several years, currently works as a charge nurse in the emergency room at Baxter Health. In her campaign she has stated that she is committed to bringing transparency and accountability to county government. Current JP McDonald has said he believes the county is heading in the right direction and supports the leadership of County Judge Kevin Litty.
Incumbent Republican JP Rick Steiner is being challenged by Republican Jay Sabella for District 3 which encompasses the north eastern corner of Baxter County. Steiner is currently serving his second term and holds committee seats on both the Environmental and Legislative committees, as well as chairing the Building Committee. Jay Sabella will face Steiner in the March 3 Primary to determine the future of the seat.
District 7, which covers the eastern half of Mountain Home and along the Sheid Hopper Bypass on Highway 62, sees incumbent Republican JP Bob Nault facing off against Republican candidate Brian Ades. Nault, who is seeking a second term on the court, has served on multiple committees and has stated he will continue to work to keep taxes low and support law enforcement. Ades, who has long standing ties to Mountain Home and years of experience in law enforcement and the military, has stated his goal, if elected, will be to provide a boost to economic development, as well as help improve public service programs.
Current District 9 Republican JP Cameron Davis will seek a fifth term on the court with Republican challenger James Baker eyeing the seat. The district is located in the center of the county just east of Mountain Home and encompasses areas such as Tracy Ferry and Sycamore Springs. Davis, who serves on the county’s Economic Development Committee has stated that he believes economic growth needs to be a focus to ensure a prosperous future. Baker, A local business owner and lifelong Baxter County resident, has stated if elected his focus would be on the environment and tourism to the area.
District 11 will see new representation as current JP Eric Payne is running against Judge Kevin Litty for the role of Baxter County Judge. Two Republican candidates, Tom Canta and Danny Woods, have thrown their hats in for the race for the district which covers the southern half of the county. Woods, a local business owner and 35 year resident of Baxter County plans to bring his experience in construction and road laying to address the roads in the county, something he states is in need of greater attention. Tom Canta, who recently retired from the Mountain Home Police Department, has lived in the county for 28 years has stated he will bring a focus on public safety and rural fire departments should he be elected.
Questions for the upcoming candidate forum can be submitted by email to news@ktlo.com. All submissions are due Monday at noon. Early voting begins Tuesday, February 17.
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