Two Columbia city council seats go to runoff election Tuesday. What to know.
The fate of two Columbia City Council seats will be decided Tuesday during runoff elections for a citywide at-large council seat, and the District 4 council seat.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and District 1 council member Tina Herbert handily won their races Nov. 4, but candidates for the other two council seats up for re-election didn’t receive the needed 50% plus 1 vote to win.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the runoff election Tuesday.
Who is on the ballot?
At-large race
- Incumbent: Aditi Bussells. Bussells is a former public health researcher and a current consultant with Deloitte. She won her seat on city council in 2021 after a runoff with Tyler Bailey. Bailey later won the city’s other at-large seat in 2023.
- Challenger: Sam Johnson. Johnson leads the municipal advocacy firm Civint and previously was chief of staff to former Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.
District 4 race
- Incumbent: Peter Brown. Brown runs the commercial sign company Colite, which makes signage for a variety of national brands, including Amazon, Wells Fargo, Holiday Inn and others.
- Challenger: Julie Lumpkin. Lumpkin is a public policy specialist, having worked for the former South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
How did they perform Nov. 4?
At-large
Johnson won the most votes in the at-large Nov. 4 election, with 7,151 ballots cast in his favor or about 47% of all ballots cast in the race. Bussells finished Tuesday with 43% of the vote – 6,517 ballots were cast for her. Other contenders for the at-large seat were Jared Johnson and Tony Bowen, who received a combined 1,423 votes.
District 4
In the District 4 race, Brown led with 2,531 votes cast for him, or just under 47% of the vote. Lumpkin came in second with just under 30% of the vote, or 1,604 ballots cast in her favor. Ashley McCall came in third in that race, winning 1,286 votes or just under 24% of the total.
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Where do candidates stand on the issues?
At-large
Bussells and Johnson share similar visions for Columbia’s future, running campaigns that focus on improving public safety, boosting economic development and creating more and better access to affordable housing.
Bussells has touted successes during her first time including her support for a city initiative that created temporary housing for Columbia’s chronically homeless, and spearheading a citywide rebranding effort that included creating a new logo and installing new welcome signs at Columbia gateways.
Johnson points to his knowledge of local government from his time working with former Mayor Benjamin, during which time he was a key advisor in establishing the flourishing BullStreet District.
District 4
Brown has said he feels residents generally want the same things: responsive city services and quality of life improvements like investments in city parks, water infrastructure and public safety.
Brown has also spoken about wanting to attract more businesses to the city to create more taxable properties and higher paying jobs to better attract young professionals, and to keep college students who may leave Columbia after graduation.
Lumpkin has run a campaign focused on listening to neighborhood concerns and creating a more responsive city government. She’s also focused on what the city can do to combat the high number of evictions filed in Richland County each year, and the consequences of those filings for people’s ability to find subsequent quality housing.
Have the races been contentious?
The race for the at-large seat has been contentious.
Last week, Bussells publicly accused Johnson’s campaign of spearheading online harassment against her, but she could not provide evidence to support the claim. Johnson emphatically denied the accusation and criticized Bussells for making it without evidence.
Before that, the race between the pair had been heated with Johnson questioning Bussells ties to the Republican Party, as she is working with the same campaign consulting company as Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Bussells questioning Johnson’s ability to remain conflict-free while running a firm that helps companies navigate municipal government.
How to vote
Voters who wish to cast a ballot in the runoff election Tuesday should check if their polling places have changed, using bit.ly/RichlandCountyPollingLocations.
Voters must also show a current ID, which can include a driver’s license, DMV ID card, voter registration card, federal military ID or a U.S. Passport.
What is a runoff election?
Runoff elections are held when no candidate in a race for public office receives 50% plus 1 vote. The top two vote-getters then go to a runoff. Runoffs are held two weeks after the regular election.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 9:44 AM.
