The results are in: Here’s who won seats in the Columbia City Council election
One new face will join Columbia City Council, while two sitting councilmen will keep their seats after Tuesday’s election.
Columbia attorney Tyler Bailey won the at-large City Council seat Tuesday night fending off two opponents. Incumbent Councilman Will Brennan defeated former councilman Moe Baddourah in the city’s District 3, while Councilman Ed McDowell ran unopposed for reelection in District 2.
Current at-large Councilman Howard Duvall chose not to run for reelection.
Competing to replace him were Bailey, Jesse Bullard and Christa Williams.
Bailey won the race with 6,175 votes, or just under 54% of the ballots, according to reports by the S.C. Election Commission at scvotes.gov. Bullard trailed with 3,907 votes, or just over 34%. Williams followed with 1,342 votes.
A candidate must win over 50% of the vote to be declared the outright winner without having to go to a runoff election.
Bailey is an attorney in Columbia practicing at his own firm and specializing in civil rights and personal injury law, among other areas.
He previously told The State he ran for office because he is from Columbia and has seen some communities be left out of the city’s growth.
Bailey ran for City Council at-large in 2021 but lost in a run-off election against Aditi Bussells.
City Council doesn’t necessarily face the same gridlock as Congress or even the State House, Bailey told The State, so there’s room to really get things done and impact communities.
“I’m a product of the community, and I could bring people together to see how we need to address it,” Bailey said, adding that he thinks council needs “an advocate for people, for communities, who is not beholden to anybody or pursuing a narrow interest.”
Brennan staved off a challenge from Baddourah, who Brennan ousted from council in 2019.
Brennan won with 83%, or 3,011 votes. Baddourah trailed with 585 votes, according to the state Election Commission.
Candidates for City Council have focused their energy talking about public safety, neighborhood blight, housing and development, taxes, infrastructure and more.
Columbia council seats not up for election this year are held by: Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, at-large Councilwoman Aditi Bussells, District 1 Councilwoman Tina Herbert and District 4 Councilman Peter Brown.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 8:39 PM.
