Turk, La Tour heading to runoff in Ward 4

John La Tour (left) and Teresa Turk
John La Tour (left) and Teresa Turk

FAYETTEVILLE — It will take a runoff election to determine the next representative for Ward 4 on the City Council.

Adam Fire Cat and Teresa Turk challenged incumbent John La Tour. Turk and La Tour got the most votes and will face each other in a runoff Dec. 4.

The complete but unofficial vote totals were:

  • Turk: 2,909 (45 percent)
  • La Tour: 2,811 (44 percent)
  • Fire Cat: 677 (11 percent)

A candidate in a municipal election with more than two challengers can win outright with a majority, which is 50 percent plus one vote. Or, a candidate can win with 40 percent of the vote if he is ahead of the second-closest candidate by 20 percent. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters face each other in a runoff.

Turk, 57, is an environmental consultant and serves on the Historic District Commission. She is a retired scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and owns several rental properties in Ward 4.

La Tour, 62, is a certified public accountant who was elected to the City Council in 2014. He received a law degree from Oak Brook College, a Christian correspondence school. He has often touted a free-market approach to government.

Ward 4 covers most of the city west of Interstate 49 and parts of the University of Arkansas campus south of Wedington Drive. Notable landmarks include the University Heights neighborhood, Pratt Place Inn, Bryce Davis Park, Holcomb Elementary School, Owl Creek School, Asbell Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Club.

City Council members are paid $12,504 annually and serve four-year terms.

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