FORT SMITH - Just a few days after concluding his legendary 48 year public school career as the principal of Southside High School, Wayne Haver has announced his next endeavor. The longtime educator filed to run for Mayor of Fort Smith, joining State Representative George McGill and UAFS student Luis Andrade in a three-way race for the city’s top spot.
In addition to his career as an educator, Haver has had some public service positions most recently as a member of the Fort Smith Airport Commission.
The primary election is set for August, while the general election is set for November 5th. If no candidate emerges with 50% of the primary vote, the top two finishers will compete in the general.
Haver was credited with guiding Southside High through some of its’ most challenging times, including the controversial transition from the “Rebel” mascot to the new “Maverick” identity.
He was not available for comment as of the time of this writing.
As one of the first to file for the seat, McGill welcomed both of his opponents on Thursday.
“I would like to be the first to officially welcome each of the candidates into the race for Mayor of Fort Smith. This campaign should be an honorable effort focused on the issues of city government and service to the residents of Fort Smith.” McGill said. “Our community has the opportunity to make a historic decision in this election. The hard-earned progress of recent years can be built upon and improved or we can spend time casting blame and dwelling on past mistakes. If we choose that narrow path of negativity, we will end up right back where we started, devoid of practical solutions and still faced with the tough challenges of our region.”
McGill says his campaign will focus on spreading a positive vision for Fort Smith.