2 sign up to run for Columbia City Council on 1st day of filing
Filing for Columbia City Council candidates opened Wednesday, with an official campaign launch by a local school board member for chance to represent the areas of north Columbia and the city’s booming downtown.
Aaron Bishop, a pastor and Richland 1 school board member whose home was recently annexed into the city of Columbia, held a campaign kickoff party Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, he filed to run for the District 2 council seat currently held by Brian DeQuincey Newman, who has said he is not running for re-election.
“I can appreciate the diversity of District 2. I can appreciate the tradition and history of District 2,” Bishop said Wednesday evening. “My vision is to preserve and prosper District 2 as it becomes the crowning jewel of the Columbia area.”
Bishop is one of two who officially threw their names into the pool of candidates on the first day of filing. Howard Duvall, a former longtime director of the S.C. Municipal Association, also filed Wednesday for the citywide council seat currently held by Cameron Runyan.
Up for election are three council seats: District 2, currently represented by Newman; District 3, represented by Moe Baddourah; and Runyan’s at-large seat.
Baddourah and Runyan are both expected to run for re-election, with both reporting healthy campaign donations to the S.C. Ethics Commission.
Other possible candidates who have filed financial reports with the Ethics Commission include Ed McDowell for District 2 and, for Runyan’s at-large seat, and Dherick “Preach” Jacobs.
Filing opened Wednesday at noon and will close at noon Friday, Sept. 4.
Filing for candidates in these Lexington County municipal elections opens Friday at noon: Summit, Batesburg-Leesville, Chapin, Pelion, Pine Ridge, Springdale, Swansea and Irmo. Filing will remain open through Aug. 21 for all those towns, except for Chapin, which will remain open through Aug. 31.
The city of West Columbia opens its candidate filing Monday, Aug. 10, at 8:30 a.m. and closes filing at 5 p.m. Aug. 28
Reach Ellis at (803) 771-8307.
Filing for Columbia City Council
The filing period for Columbia City Council candidacy opens Wednesday at noon and will close Friday, Sept. 4, at noon.
The Nov. 3 election features seats for an at-large representative and representatives in council Districts 2 and 3.
Registered voters wanting to file must pay a $90 fee and file a statement of intention of candidacy with the city clerk on the third floor of City Hall, 1737 Main St.
This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 11:16 AM.