Ex-mayor’s son added to list of those taking on first-term, citywide incumbent

John Adams, the son of former Columbia Mayor Patton Adams, on Monday announced he’s the latest candidate to challenge citywide Councilman Cameron Runyan.

Adams said he’s focusing his first campaign for public office on what he considers to be council’s lack of transparency on key financial issues, largely council members’ votes in support of public funding for the expansive Bull Street construction project.

Adams, 42, criticized Runyan as a former puppet of Mayor Steve Benjamin. Despite recent votes that differ from the mayor’s, Runyan’s shift is “too little, too late,” Adams said.

“Cameron Runyan has specifically made a lot of decisions that have put funds from taxpayers into risky situations,” said the newcomer and native Columbian, who announced his race in a news release Monday morning.

Adams blames Benjamin on the transparency issue and the newcomer does not limit his criticism to Runyan. “Basically, whoever Benjamin has got influence over for the week,” Adams said without naming anyone else on council.

Also on Adams’ platform are creating a better educated, more viable workforce for technology companies that are moving into Columbia; reining in overdevelopment and what he terms disregard for zoning laws.

So far, one other candidate has filed to oppose Runyan: Howard Duvall, the retired director of the state’s Municipal Association.

Three candidates have filed for the District 2 seat being vacated by Councilman Brian DeQuincey Newman who is leaving after serving one full term.

They include Aaron Bishop, a member of the Richland 1 school board whose home was annexed into the city just before he announced his candidacy. Also, Edward McDowell Jr., a pastor who has acknowledged the support he has received from convicted former Councilman E.W. Cromartie. Cromartie was a powerhouse in city government for decades until his 2010 federal indictment and conviction on charges of income tax evasion. And Katie Fletcher Bolden, who filed for the District 2 seat on Thursday.

Efforts by The State newspaper to reach McDowell and Bolden on Monday morning were unsuccessful.

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 12:19 PM.