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Morrison upsets Cole in Crawford County JP race

Times Record - 3/7/2020

Mar. 6--Crawford County District 4, Van Buren Precincts 1-1 and 1-2

R -- Lloyd Cole: 241 votes and 43.74%

R -- Michael Morrison: 310 votes and 56.26%

Michael Morrison was victorious as the new Justice of the Peace elect for Crawford County District 4, winning out over incumbent Lloyd Cole. Morrison received 56.26% of the 551 votes cast.

Morrison, a graduate from Van Buren High School and a political science major at the University of Arkansas, said, "I'm excited to give back to the community where I went to high school. This is my first time running for this seat or for public office in general. I thought it was a great time to throw my hat in the ring and to bring forward some ideas."

Cole, who has been a Crawford County resident since 1996, a 20-year military veteran of the U.S. Army, worked in the Van Buren area as a real estate agent and broker for 10 years. He was also a state parole officer for another seven years. He first served as Crawford County Justice of the Peace in 2004 and has served off and on since then.

Cole discussed highlights of his work serving Crawford County and Van Buren. "I was chairman of the Jail Committee that got the new jail built," he said. "They were told years ago that the building downtown was able to expand and it wasn't the case. I picked a location with enough space that can expand. It has plenty of room for growth. At some point in the future it can be centrally located.

Cole said, "While I had my real estate license, we had some real trashy buildings and I was able to get those purchased and replaced with new parking space."

Cole also was instrumental regarding the prosecuting attorney building, which was a rental property. He persuaded the court to purchase the building so they could quit wasting dollars paying rent.

Cole said, "I basically used some common sense that worked for all the county and not just my district."

Morrison said, "I was hoping for a win, but I was expecting the margin to be closer than it was. Lloyd Cole has a lot of name recognition and has lived in the community for a long time. He did a great job. I was ecstatic. It was great knowing that over 50% of the community agrees with you and your ideas."

Morrison is ready to get to work, share his ideas, and bring about some positive economic changes to Van Buren and Crawford County.

"I'm looking forward to working with Judge Gilstrap and the Quorum Court, Mayor Hurst, as well as the people of the town. Although I may represent one JP district, the actions of all the JPs extend beyond our current districts."

Cole said, "It's a great opportunity for any citizen to get into politics and the Quorum Court. It teaches you a lot."

Morrison is hoping to improve old downtown with revitalization.

Morrison said, "Some projects I am concerned with are community engagement. Crawford County is a great county to live in. It's very economical to live here. There are some tweaks Van Buren can do and make it stand out."

He sees the area as a chance to gain more visitors and businesses than what currently exists.

Morrison said, "We could draw some of the crowd from Fort Smith or even Fayetteville. We've got the train that drops people off right there. I would like to increase some economic support down in that area. It's local businesses and owners like that which are investing in football and baseball teams because they have kids in school here. We want those businesses to stay in Van Buren and Crawford County."

Morrison's excitement is palpable. He has respect for his predecessor and he hopes to improve on what has already been accomplished in a community he clearly loves.

"I am grateful to the friends and family who voted and supported me. I am thankful to Justice of the Peace Lloyd Cole and the work he has done in laying a good foundation. I am excited to take the reins and thankful for the opportunity to bring my skills sets and knowledge to Crawford County and make it an even greater place to live."

Cole, stating he has no future plans at this time to run for office again, said, "I don't feel any regrets about losing because it's always good for new people to bring in new ideas. Fresh blood is always good."

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