City Director Merry may run for Fort Smith Mayor

Fort Smith city politics may heat up well before the 2014 election. Fort Smith City Director Philip Merry Jr., has said he may run for Mayor.

Merry previously told The City Wire he had explored and ruled out a run for state representative, saying he would instead explore ways to serve in the Fort Smith area.

That service appears directed toward the mayor’s office. Merry confirmed with The City Wire that he is considering a run for Fort Smith mayor, which could pit him against incumbent Mayor Sandy Sanders in next years election. Merry said he has been approached by numerous citizens about running for the office.

"I've been approached by many. I have been approached by many all over town and I am weighing it, praying on it, analyzing the time commitment."

Merry, who as a director at-large has already won a citywide election in 2010, said there are various reasons he is considering running for mayor instead of running for re-election to his Board position.

"I really would like to be, if I were to do it I would do it because I think I would bring enthusiasm, bring a balance between board room serious and the…not to be a cheerleader, but to be an outward, enthusiastic word to the community about how great this place this and how we need to band together and take it over the top."

Along with the mayoral post, the three at-large Board posts are up for re-election in 2014 – Merry, and City Directors Kevin Settle and Pam Weber.

Numerous sources have confirmed to The City Wire that Sanders has told them he would run for re-election, but Sanders said his plans were not set in stone.

"I'm getting lots of strong encouragement to run again and I'm strongly considering it and will make the announcement at an appropriate time."

Sanders said even though he has a little less than a year and a half left in his first term, he would like to accomplish more for the city and focus more on those issues before announcing a decision on re-election.

"I am strongly considering running for re-election and I appreciate all of the encouragement from people urging me to do so."

An announcement, he said, would come "sooner rather than later."

The mayor also confirmed that he did not yet have a campaign team in place, instead saying "all that will be worked out as I get closer to any announcement."

In discussing his future, Merry said he was not necessarily eyeing a race against Sanders, but instead was envisioning what he would like the position of mayor to function should he not only enter the race, but win.

"I am saying that he is very procedurally excellent but I'm not talking about Sanders, I am talking about what I would want to do."

In addition to Merry and Sanders, former director Don Hutchings has said he is exploring a run for one of the three available at-large director positions, though he said a decision was not coming anytime soon.

Weber confirmed that she has not yet made up her mind about a run, saying that it would be a family decision.

"We don't do anything without discussing it and making the decision together," she said, adding that it was just too early to make a decision.

Settle, who also serves as the city's vice mayor, has not made any public statements about his political future.