More than 150 area residents gathered at the West Plains Civic Center on Wednesday evening for a two-hour political panel and candidate forum co-hosted by the West Plains Daily Quill, Howell County News and Ozark Radio News.
The forum was divided into three distinct phases featuring local officeholders, state representative candidates for the 154th House District, and judicial candidates seeking election to the Howell County Associate Circuit Court. Amanda Mendez, owner and publisher of Howell County News, moderated the event and presented questions submitted by community members.
The opening session featured a panel of Howell County officeholders — Sheriff Matt Roberts, Assessor Daniel Franks, Presiding Commissioner Ralph Riggs and Collector Janet Crow — who reviewed the potential impacts of four proposed state constitutional measures on the upcoming ballot: Amendments 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Attention then turned to the 154th District House seat, featuring a debate between Democratic nominee JoJo Stewart of Willow Springs and Republican challenger Travis Smith of Pottersville, a former 155th District state representative.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Lisa Durnell elected not to attend the forum, citing short notice and concerns over potential conflicts of interest regarding the organizers. Moderation kept an empty podium on stage bearing Durnell's name in the event she arrived.
During the district debate, candidates fielded audience questions on local priorities, culture and immigration. Smith emphasized state and local vigilance regarding demographic shifts, while Stewart cited constitutional protections regarding religious freedom and dismissed concerns over local immigration impacts, drawing visible disagreement from several audience members.
The final hour brought together all four candidates seeking the Division 3 Associate Circuit Judge seat in Howell County: Lyndell Beard, Larry Burton, Heath Hardman and Marty Simpson. Facing judicial ethics guidelines that restrict candidates from commenting on specific cases or legal issues likely to come before the court, each candidate focused on detailing their professional background, court experience and commitment to judicial impartiality.
Organizers noted that no judicial candidate received formal endorsements from the county officeholders present.
Primary election voting takes place Aug. 4, with polling locations open across Howell County from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Watch the Quill next week for more in-depth reporting on this event, including candidate responses to community questions.
