State Rep. Jim Sorvillo had to rely on a sneaky, theft-based approach in his second-round matchup against Micah Neal, but he was well aware that such a tactic wouldn’t work against Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, who is no stranger to underhanded attempts to steal a win.
Instead, Sorvillo went back to the tried-and-true approach that has gotten him so far in life. He appeared non-committal on offense, standing for nothing of substance and leaving Stodola unsure how best to defend. Worse for Stodola, Sorvillo also reverted to his very, very hands-on defense, groping the mayor at every opportunity. And, because this game was yet again refereed by Arkansas House leadership, Sorvillo’s blatantly improper use of the hands was allowed to continue with little more than a subtle warning and no fouls called.
Stodola did mount one late charge, offering to trade city property for some additional points and briefly finding a receptive audience. However, when oversight committee member Russ Racop pointed out the impropriety of Stodola’s actions, the mayor’s double talk was not enough to save him, and Sorvillo cruised to a comfortable 12-point win.