Dr. Aditi Bussells to run for Columbia City Council at-large
As Columbia toils its way through, and eventually out of, the global pandemic, the city will have to pick up the pieces of what’s been left behind and move forward into a new future.
Dr. Aditi Bussells wants to be a part of shaping that future.
Bussells told The State she plans to run for an at-large seat on Columbia City Council. The seat has been held by Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine for nearly two decades. However, when Mayor Steve Benjamin confirmed he would not seek reelection this year, Devine announced she would run for the mayoral seat, creating a clear pathway for those seeking the at-large seat for the first time in almost 20 years.
Bussells, 31, is the director of research at the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, which focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. She’s a graduate of the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, and also holds degrees from George Washington University and the University of Virginia. Last year she was appointed by Benjamin to the city’s Complete Count Committee for the 2020 U.S. Census.
She is set to make her intentions to run official in a Tuesday announcement. In a conversation with The State ahead of that announcement, Bussells said there is much work to be done in the Capital City.
“One of the things that the pandemic has really shown us is that things are not necessarily working as well as we thought they were,” Bussells said. “And that’s not to dismiss the great work that has happened. But I think there are a lot of pivotal decisions that need to be made in the next four to seven years to position Columbia to be truly competitive.
“And being someone who is trained in public health who uses sound science and data-driven decision-making everyday, I think I am uniquely poised to take on the role of local policy-making.”
Unlike district races, at-large seats are elected citywide in Columbia. With Devine gunning for the mayoral seat, there could be several challengers for the at-large post. Aside from Bussells, business owner Heather Bauer also has announced she will run in the at-large race.
Bussells said, if elected, she will be dialed-in on the process of how Columbia arrived where it is on a number of issues, and would work to address those problems.
“I want to take a step back and not focus so much about the outcome itself being my goal, but how we got there, and focus on the process and systems that led us to having some of the highest evictions in the country,” she said. “Or, what led us to inequities when it comes to your zip code and what access you have for food or housing options or even quality education.
“I think that really takes that holistic, data-driven perspective that a public health person like me can provide.”
Bussells is a resident of the Earlewood neighborhood north of Elmwood Avenue. She is looking forward to connecting with residents from all quadrants of the city during the campaign.
“I think it is important for the next city at-large councilperson to focus on the fact that the City of Columbia is very diverse,” she said. “When you look at this city, compared to neighboring cities, we are very unique in that we have different cultures, different histories and different contexts, just a road away from each other. The next (councilperson) needs to take a very balanced and very critically thought through approach to the different problems and issues facing the city.”
This year’s municipal elections are on Nov. 2. Filing is likely to open in August.
There is already a bit of history surrounding this at-large seat, as Devine was the first African American woman elected to the city council, and the first African American person elected at-large.
If elected, Bussells also would be a trailblazer: She would be the first Indian American person ever elected to the citywide seat.
“It’s very important, because of my identity as a first generation immigrant and seeing firsthand how a thriving community provided my family with so much when they had come with very little to the U.S.,” she said. “That’s also why I’ve always been so passionate about public health, because I do believe we have a collective responsibility to help our neighbors be set up for success.”
