Lee Kemp, Mayoral Candidate

1. Provide us with some information about your history and your background with Fort Smith.

Fort Smith is home. I was born at Sparks Hospital and graduated from Southside High School in 2002. My wife, Sarah, graduated from Northside in 2003. We married in 2005 and are raising our five children here.

For most of my adult life, my work has centered on leading organizations and serving people. I helped start Forefront Church in 2013 and currently serve as its lead pastor, but my leadership experience extends well beyond the church.

I serve as a corporate chaplain, helping businesses strengthen leadership development, team health, and role clarity. I have also served our community in several ways, including as president of the Fianna Hills Property Owners Association, as a character coach for the Southside High School football team, and as an honorary commander with the 188th Wing supporting the MQ-9 Reaper mission.

These roles have allowed me to work with people of all ages and backgrounds, including students, families, business leaders, military members, employees, and leaders of community organizations. I have learned a lot about bringing people together, navigating challenges, and helping teams and organizations move forward.

For the past two years, I have had the privilege of representing Ward 3 on the Fort Smith Board of Directors. That experience has given me a much deeper understanding of how our city operates, the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead.

I love this city. I know its history, but I am even more excited about its future! I want Fort Smith to be a place where my kids, the students graduating from UAFS, and young people across our community can envision a future for themselves.

2. What made you want to run? 

Serving on the Board of Directors over the past two years has given me a much better understanding of the mayor’s role and how important that position is for Fort Smith.

I believe our mayor needs to be someone who can stay calm under pressure, communicate well, bring people together, and share a positive vision for our community while still being honest about the challenges we face. I see the mayor as Fort Smith’s chief ambassador and spokesperson, representing our city to businesses, state and federal leaders, and people who may be considering investing here.

Our form of government also gives the mayor a unique opportunity to focus on those responsibilities. The mayor does not have to manage the city’s day-to-day operations. We have professional city management for that. That allows the mayor to focus on conducting productive and orderly meetings, building relationships, advocating for Fort Smith, and helping move economic development opportunities forward.

I also think a lot about the next generation. We have tremendous young people growing up here and talented students coming through UAFS. I want them to look around Fort Smith and see opportunities to build a career, start a business, buy a home, raise a family, and make a difference without feeling they have to leave our community to find them.

That combination is what made me want to run. I believe the mayor can help set the tone for our community, tell Fort Smith’s story well, and bring people together around a shared vision for where we go next.

3. What pressing needs do you see in Fort Smith?

Fort Smith faces significant challenges, but I also believe many of them present opportunities to make our city stronger.

First, we have to take care of the basics. We have major infrastructure responsibilities for our water and sewer systems, streets, and other essential city services. Some of these needs have developed over decades and will require long-term solutions. We have to address them responsibly while remaining mindful of the costs for families and businesses.

Public safety is another priority. We need to recruit and retain great police officers and firefighters, provide competitive compensation, and ensure they have the facilities, equipment, and resources necessary to serve a growing community.

We also need to continue growing our economy. That means pursuing new employers and investment, but economic development cannot be only about landing the next big project. We need to support the businesses already here, encourage entrepreneurship, develop our workforce, expand housing opportunities, and continue improving the quality of life that attracts and retains people.

One need I think deserves particular attention is creating opportunities for the next generation. UAFS is one of our community’s greatest assets. We have talented students earning degrees and developing skills right here in Fort Smith. I want us to think intentionally about what happens next. Are there jobs for them? Can they afford to buy a home? Can they start a business here? Do they see a community where they want to build relationships, raise a family, and invest their talents?

If we can get the basics right while creating more opportunity for people to build their lives here, I think we will address several of Fort Smith’s most important needs at the same time.

4. If you were to get elected, how would you meet these needs that you see?

I would start by recognizing that the mayor cannot solve these challenges alone. Fort Smith already has talented people working across city government, UAFS, our schools, businesses, nonprofits, neighborhoods, and community organizations. Good leadership means bringing the right people to the table, setting clear priorities, building consensus where possible, and following through.

On infrastructure, we need long-term plans that identify our needs, prioritize them, and responsibly determine how to fund them. On public safety, we need a competitive strategy to recruit and retain great police officers and firefighters. And on economic development, I believe the mayor should be one of our city’s strongest advocates, working with our partners to attract investment, support existing businesses and entrepreneurs, and advocate for Fort Smith at the state and federal levels.

I also want us to be more intentional about listening to young adults. If we want UAFS graduates to build their lives in Fort Smith, we should ask what would make them stay and then listen to their answers. Young people should have a voice in conversations about the future of a community they may spend the next 50 years helping to build.

I don’t believe the mayor’s job is to have every good idea. I believe the mayor’s job is to help bring people together around good ideas, build support for them, and turn those ideas into action

General Elections for Mayor and Board of Directors will happen on Nov 3rd. If you are a resident in the Fort Smith Area, go out and vote.