Oxford’s Arnold Pegues Qualifies for Ward 4 Election

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Lifelong Oxonian Arnold B. Pegues has qualified to run for Ward 4 aldermen in the special election set for July 2.

Pegues will run against Kesha Howell-Atkinson, daughter of the late Ulysses “Coach” Howell who decided to run to follow in her father’s footsteps.

Howell died May 11 after suffering from a massive stroke. He first took the Ward 4 Alderman seat in 1993 and remained in office until his death.

Arnold Pegues at a candidate forum in the 2013 election where he ran for Ward 4 aldermen. He has qualified to run again in the upcoming municipal election to fill the seat left open after the death of Ulysses “Coach” Howell last month.
Photo by Newt Rayburn

Pegues qualified Monday to run after garnering at least 50 signatures from Ward 4 residents.

Pegues graduated from Oxford High School in 1979 and the from the University of Mississippi in 2000. He currently works for GE Aviation.

Pegues ran against Howell six years ago for the Ward 4 seat and lost to the incumbent; however, he lost only by about 30 votes.

Pegues said he wants the citizens of Ward 4 to have a voice in local government.

“I want to make them feel they have equal representation,” Pegues said Monday. “No matter how small their problem is, I want people to feel like they are heard and are being included.”

Pegues said he believes the biggest issue facing Ward 4 residents is infrastructure or the lack of it.

“Broken sidewalks, streets without curbs, areas that need street lights,” he said. “I want people to get back into the running of the city and feel like they are included.”

As of Monday morning, only Howell-Atkinson and Pegues have qualified to run in the face. The deadline to qualify for the special election is 5 p.m. on June 12. If one candidate does not receive 51 percent of the votes, a run-off election will be held July 16.