Crawford Runs For Fayetteville Council Opposing Discrimination Ordinance

Joshua Crawford
Joshua Crawford

FAYETTEVILLE -- After his unsuccessful bid for Washington County assessor in May, Joshua Crawford is running to represent Ward 2 on the City Council.

Crawford favors smaller government, he said Wednesday, and is primarily running against the controversial anti-discrimination ordinance approved by the council Wednesday.

Profile

Joshua Crawford

Fayetteville City Council

Ward 2, Position 1

Age: 34

Residency: Fayetteville, two years

Family: None

Employment: IT specialist, Target Direct Mailing Services

Education: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, University of Arkansas

Military Experience: None

Political Experience: None

The ordinance prohibits most businesses and public accommodations from firing, evicting or refusing to hire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people because of their identity, he said. Crawford was one of more than 100 people who spoke at the meeting.

"I would not even have considered (running) had it not been for Ordinance 119," Crawford said, using the ordinance's formal title. "We don't need the government telling us what we should believe -- we should be telling the government what we believe."

Crawford is running against Robert Patton and incumbent Mark Kinion. Ward 2 covers central Fayetteville, stretching from downtown to the northern city limit.

Crawford said he didn't believe the government should protect sexuality or gender identity the same way it protects race, sex or religion, at least not without a public vote.

"This ordinance infringes on property rights," he said, adding protections based on race or religion also violated property rights "to an extent." "You're telling business owners who they can and can't hire, what type of bathrooms they can and can't build. It's their business, it's their property."

Crawford is one of at least four City Council candidates who are running in part because of their opposition to the ordinance. Paul Phaneuf, who's running for Ward 1, and Michael Collins and John La Tour, both in Ward 4, also spoke against it Tuesday night.

Crawford teaches pre-calculus at Fayetteville Christian School as a volunteer, in addition to work as an information technology specialist with Target Direct Mailing Services in Springdale.

Crawford ran as a Republican for assessor on an anti-property tax platform and lost in the May primary to fellow Republican Russell Hill.

"If you like smaller government, then I think you'll like me," Crawford said.

Pat Briney, associate pastor at the Mission Boulevard Baptist Church, said he'd known Crawford for more than 10 years. He described Crawford as intelligent, honest and willing to listen to people.

"Josh does a good job of listening to everybody," said Briney, who also served as chaplain for the National Federation of Republican Assemblies until 2012. "He's concerned about everyone's safety and well-being, not just a few or special privileges.

"That's what I look for, a candidate who will speak honestly, and who will get above the emotion of issues and think about them," Briney added. "That's Josh."

NW News on 08/21/2014

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