Molly Rawn (Mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, candidate 2024)

Molly Rawn

Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

---

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of Fayetteville

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arkansas, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Paragould, Ark.

Religion

Christian: Episcopalian

Profession

CEO

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Molly Rawn ran for election to the Mayor of Fayetteville in Arkansas. She was on the ballot in the general runoff election on December 3, 2024.

Rawn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Molly Rawn provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 21, 2024:

• Birth date: January 17, 1982
• Birth place: Paragould, Arkansas
• High school: Pulaski Academy
• Bachelor's: University of Arkansas, 2008
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Christian: Episcopalian
• Profession: CEO
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Building A Future-Focused Fayetteville
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• Campaign YouTube video

Elections

General runoff election

General runoff election for Mayor of Fayetteville

Incumbent Lioneld Jordan and Molly Rawn ran in the general runoff election for Mayor of Fayetteville on December 3, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Lioneld Jordan (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Molly Rawn (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

General election

General election for Mayor of Fayetteville

Incumbent Lioneld Jordan, Adam Fire Cat, Molly Rawn, and Tom Terminella ran in the general election for Mayor of Fayetteville on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Lioneld Jordan (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Adam Fire Cat (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Molly Rawn (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Tom Terminella (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rawn in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Molly Rawn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rawn's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I currently serve as the CEO of Experience Fayetteville, the city's destination marketing organization. In this role, I oversee a substantial budget of 4.8 million dollars and manages a team of 19 full-time employees. Under my leadership, the city has experienced remarkable tourism growth, achieving its highest HMR tax collection month to date. I also lead the team that successfully organized the 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship, marking the second occurrence of the event on U.S. soil in the past 72 years.

I’m invested in the future of Fayetteville and believe our city’s best days lie ahead of us. Current leadership has grown complacent, and too many residents are being left behind. Our city has too many residents without homes or at risk of losing their homes. Our most vulnerable population often struggles with access to reliable transportation.

I am a native Arkansan and have lived in Fayetteville for 19 years. My husband, Jeremy, and I are both graduates of the University of Arkansas. We have three children: Collier, Miller, and Opal.

I am passionate about community engagement, community building and expanding opportunities for women in civic leadership.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Access. Every resident should have access to the opportunities and services they need to thrive, from adequate infrastructure and attainable housing, to access to parks and other quality of life amenities.
• Partnerships. We are stronger together and nothing worthwhile is done alone. I will foster strong collaboration between city government and local businesses, the University of Arkansas, regional entities, and community organizations.
• Innovation. I will ensure Fayetteville remains at the forefront of smart infrastructure growth, technological advancements, and sustainable practices. In order for our city to reach its full potential, we must look toward innovative and creative solutions rather than relying on the way things have always been done.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing

Climate Resiliency

Economic Development

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is always changing and is usually the last one I read. I've been an avid reader since childhood. As a girl in a small town who didn't always fit in, I used to stay inside during recess to read. I never lost that love of books. On the fiction front, recently I read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. It was perfect; she never disappoints.

Since I launched this campaign, I've been reading a lot about cities. What does success look like for a city? What strategies can cities rely upon to best help residents feel a true sense of belonging? Which cities have businesses that are thriving? What challenges do modern day cities face? I am reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and Happy City by Charles Montgomery.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The challenges brought about by rapid growth of Fayetteville and the surrounding region will be the defining issues that chart the course of our city over the next decade. Proactive leadership is required to address our aging infrastructure and lack of housing. Specifically, we must make investments in our water infrastructure. This is expensive, to be clear, but critical. We must encourage infill development that adds to the available housing stock while being mindful of best practices for stormwater management so as not to exacerbate flooding.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Organizations:

Arkansas Renters United
Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce
Progressive Arkansas Women

Individuals:
Councilperson Sarah Moore, City of Fayetteville, Ward 2

Justice of the Peace Evelyn Rios Stafford, Washington County

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Transparency and accountability are non-negotiables. Elected officials must always remember they are stewards of public dollars and public resources. As Mayor, I will always be mindful of the trust the public places in me. I am accountable to all of the people, not only the ones who voted for me. These values are foundational to me.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Mayor of Fayetteville

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Personal

LinkedIn