Watts will not run for Runyan’s Columbia City Council seat

Longtime political consultant and neighborhood activist Tige Watts is ending his campaign for Columbia City Council.

Watts, who in February announced he would run for the at-large seat currently head by councilman Cameron Runyan, announced Thursday he is ending his campaign and will instead support Howard Duvall.

“Since I kicked off my campaign eight weeks ago I have found it very difficult, sometimes impossible, for me to balance all the demands of my professional, personal, civic and family obligations,” Watts said in a statement Thursday. “So, when I learned of Howard’s interest to run for this seat and serve the citizens of Columbia, it made this decision much easier for me because we share so many values and positions on the important issues facing our Capital City.”

Watts has served on the Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, the chamber of commerce’s board of advisers and numerous special committees and task forces, according to a release. He is a small business owner, president of Neighborhoods, USA and past president of the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods.

Runyan is seeking re-election on the Nov. 3 ballot. John Adams and Preach Jacobs join Duvall as challengers thus far.

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Watts will not run for Runyan’s Columbia City Council seat."