Eudora Mayor Tomeka Butler Files to Run for Arkansas State Senate District 1

LITTLE ROCK - Mayor Tomeka Butler, who has led the city of Eudora since 2020, has filed to run for Arkansas State Senate District 1, bringing a record of hands-on municipal leadership in Southeast Arkansas to the campaign trail.

Mayor Butler said, "I'm running because Southeast Arkansas deserves a fighter who will work across the aisle to get things done. That means lower prices, better healthcare, hospitals that stay open, and great public schools for every child growing up in Arkansas today."

Mayor Butler filed at 11:57 AM on Thursday, July 16.

Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Colonel Marcus Jones said, "We are so grateful for Mayor Butler's leadership in Eudora. During her tenure as mayor, she worked to improve critical municipal infrastructure, transparency, and public safety. She is focused on people, not politics, and she represents the best of Arkansas. She will be a champion for state government that works for you and delivers lower costs and a higher quality of life for the people of Arkansas."

Butler made history in 2020 as the first African American woman and first woman of color elected mayor of Eudora. She took office at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and has spent her tenure focused on the fundamentals that shape daily life in southeast Arkansas - municipal infrastructure, water quality, and stretching limited resources to keep her city safe and healthy. As mayor, Butler served every resident, not any political party.

Mayor Butler said, "When I was told that this seat might go uncontested, I had to step up and give my community a choice. My faith has guided me during my service as mayor, and it guides me as I make the decision to seek this seat in the State Senate. As your State Senator, I will work every day to make you proud and actually get things done for you, for your family, and for our communities."

A lifelong Eudoran and the youngest of seven, Butler graduated valedictorian of Eudora High School before earning a bachelor's in history from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a master's in public administration from Webster University, and an MBA. Her career in public service has included 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, among others. She is a Level II Certified Municipal League Officer, a 2023 graduate of the Community Development Institute, and the 2023 recipient of the Ernest Whitelaw Award.

###