Return to the main page for 2026 Elections at www.mysaline.com/2026-elections-campaign-announcements.
Benton Mayor Tom Farmer announced on April 22, 2026 he plans to seek re-election in 2026. Read his full campaign announcement below.
All candidate announcements are their own words.
Mayor Tom Farmer considers his job as mayor of Benton to be one of service and he hopes to continue serving residents of Benton moving forward, he said Wednesday as he announced his intention to seek a third term.
“I look at it as doing the best job possible for Benton’s citizens; that’s what I have done and it’s what I hope to continue doing if elected to a new term on Nov. 3,” Farmer said.
When Farmer announced his retirement in 2018 after 37 years in public education in Saline County, he decided to offer his leadership skills and dedication to run for mayor of Benton. He set a three-plank goal of growing the city responsibly, to be community accessible, and to build on Benton’s progress.
“We continue to work on those original goals and will head down the same path in the years to come if the people of Benton see fit to return me to office in the upcoming election,” Farmer said. He defeated two solid opponents without a runoff in his first attempt at elected public service and was re-elected without an opponent in 2022.
Benton continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in Arkansas but has maintained a community feel under Farmer’s leadership. “We’ve seen the kind of sustainable growth that would be the envy of most cities, but we’re not done yet,” Farmer added.
Mayor Farmer said city departments are fully staffed and new positions have been added to accommodate city growth, all without adding any tax burden on local residents.
“We have adopted the philosophy that when we need something, we save money for big ticket items such as a ladder truck for the fire department, which should arrive in July of this year,” the mayor said. “We pay as we go without the thought of raising taxes or millage.
“We want to respect the taxpayers and utilize what we have in a more efficient manner. Our goal is to be better today than we were yesterday and to be better tomorrow than we are today.”
Farmer said he very much appreciates the past support of local residents and will continue to work and listen to all citizens of Benton. “Among the things we want to accomplish are providing safety to the people of our city, to continue the job of improving streets, and providing more opportunities for a better quality of life as we grow our city together.
“It goes without saying that I would appreciate everyone’s vote later this year.”
Early voting in the fall election begins Oct. 19.
Return to the main page for 2026 Elections at www.mysaline.com/2026-elections-campaign-announcements.
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