Miami mayor faces challenger

The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Apr. 1—MIAMI, Okla. — Several races and issues are on the ballots this year in Tuesday's elections in Miami and elsewhere in Ottawa County.

The three-year position of the office of mayor is on the ballot in Miami along with a single two-way contest for school board.

MIAMI

Mayor

Incumbent Bless Parker is being challenged in Tuesday's election by newcomer Robert Ferguson.

—Parker, 53, has served as mayor of Miami since May 2020. He has worked for AT&T for 25 years, and is owner and operator of Mudville Internet, a service that broadcasts local sports events. Parker also serves on the Mayors Council of Oklahoma as a director of District 1.

—Ferguson, 45, is a self-employed businessman and has lived in Miami for five years. He is a high school graduate and is making his first bid for elective office.

School BoardFor Miami School Board, incumbent Mark Zordel is being challenged by Jamie Williams.

—Zordel, 37, a lifelong resident of Miami, was appointed to the board in October 2022 to fill an unexpired term. This is his first bid for election to public office. The former teacher currently works as the growing manager at J-M Farms in Miami. He previously taught math and coached with the Miami School District for five years. He has a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University and master's degree from Pittsburg (Kansas) State University.

—Williams, 41, has been a practicing dentist since 2006 and operates Smiles Family Dental in Miami. She grew up in Miami, and graduated in 1999 from Miami High School and in 2002 from Pittsburg (Kansas) State University, and then obtained her dentistry degree from the University of Iowa.

AFTON

Trustee seats In Afton, six candidates are running for three trustee seats.

They are Cindy Todd, William Jones, Michael Nelson, Carol Turner, Cristina McChurin and Franklin Betz.

Clerk

Afton voters also will choose between Bobbi Jo Bauman and Regina Crawford for town clerk.

Questions

They also will decide whether the office of clerk and treasurer should be appointive positions rather than elective.

COMMERCE

Trustee seatIn Commerce, Sandra Sue Ross and Walt Maris are vying for the Ward 3 seat on the Board of Town Trustees.

QUAPAW

Trustee seat

In Quapaw, Mickey Johnson and Tim Lovell are squaring off for the Office 1 position on the Board of Town Trustees.

School Board

For the Office 3 seat on the Quapaw Board of Education, John V. Jennings and Dennis Shane King are the candidates.