Longtime Columbia Councilman Sam Davis endorses Tina Herbert in District 1 race

Columbia attorney Tina Herbert’s campaign for City Council District 1 officially got underway Monday, and she immediately got a boost from outgoing District 1 Councilman Sam Davis.

Davis, who has held the seat in north Columbia for 23 years, officially endorsed Herbert’s campaign during a news conference in the Greenview community. Davis announced back in January that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection this year.

Herbert is an attorney with the Mickle & Bass firm. She previously worked for a number of years as the director of the Office of Business Opportunities at the city, where she worked to reduce barriers for businesses.

“Tina worked for the city of Columbia and in her capacity she helped the city put back together and improve the revolving loan fund, which was very instrumental in helping small and minority businesses, and women-owned businesses, to get resources so they could get off the ground and sustain themselves,” Davis said Monday.

Herbert, who had hinted for a couple months that she might seek the Council seat but only made her campaign official on Monday morning, was appreciative to get the endorsement of the man who had represented the district for nearly a quarter-century.

“It means the world, especially since I’ve worked with Mr. Davis over the years,” Herbert said. “He’s a family friend, as a matter of fact. And then he got to see me in the light of working at the city. When someone sees the work that you’ve done and the time you have put in, and they acknowledge it, and they reward you for it, that is a very good feeling.”

The early endorsement from Davis is an interesting development in the nascent District 1 race. The councilman has guided the district through redevelopment efforts in the last two decades. Even though filing for city races doesn’t begin until August, he said Monday he knows Herbert is his preferred candidate.

“I know Tina, and I can’t think of anybody else to take this ball and move forward with it,” Davis said. “Tina is the person. She’s the answer.”

There is at least one other candidate seeking the District 1 seat. Columbia College graduate and president of the Rural South Carolina Project Christa Williams has a campaign website and Facebook page up and running. The State has reached out to Williams.

Aside from District 1, city seats up for election this year include mayor, an at-large post, and District 4.

This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 2:54 PM.

Chris Trainor

The State

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.