Candidates and residents will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Dumas Community Center for a town hall forum on where Dumas and Desha County stand and who should lead them next.
The event is billed as “Dumas/Desha — 4 Years Later: Candidates and Community Town Hall Forum.” Organizers say the central question is whether the community is better off than it was four years ago. A reception follows the forum.
Forum details
- When: 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.
- Where: Dumas Community Center, 18 Belmont Drive, Dumas.
- Moderator: The Rev. Clarence “JC Loves” Thornton, founder of JoyNet Radio and senior pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock.
- Organizer: The announcement came from Arthur L. Hunt Jr., CEO of the College of Aspiring Artists, through the All of Dumas United campaign.
- Can’t attend: The forum will be recorded and livestreamed Oct. 15. JoyNet Radio plans to rebroadcast it Oct. 19.
What organizers plan to ask
Organizers say incumbents will be asked what they promised, what they got done and what is still unfinished. Challengers will be asked what they have led, what they would do in their first 100 days and how they would pay for their plans. Topics on the list include jobs, population, economic development, neighborhoods, infrastructure, public safety, education and youth opportunity.
Organizers say the forum will not tell anyone how to vote. Candidates are invited to confirm they will take part and to present their records and plans.
How residents can take part
Residents can fill out a community survey and send questions for the forum through the All of Dumas United website, allofdumasunited.blogspot.com. Broadcast details are at joynetradio.com.
Election Day is Nov. 3. For polling places and early voting in Dumas, McGehee and the rest of the county, see iSEARK.com’s Desha County election guide.
Source: Pine Bluff Commercial Community Briefs, Oct. 12, 2026, and the All of Dumas United forum page.
