LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Thursday that she has appointed Joseph Whitfield as mayor of Helena-West Helena.

Whitfield is stated to serve the remainder of the current mayoral term and is eligible to run for a full term in the 2026 election.

Whitfield will be replacing former mayor Christopher Franklin, who was removed from office by court order on July 7th, 2025, after his arrest for failing to pay or file a tax return in June 2024.

“Helena-West Helena needs big ideas and bold solutions to correct some of the issues that have arisen in recent years, and I believe that a new face like Joseph Whitfield is what this city needs,” said Governor Sanders. “In my conversations with Joseph, he’s laid out a commonsense vision to get his community back on t

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