2023 voter guide: What you need to know about Columbia City Council candidates, election
Columbia City Council is guaranteed one new face in January. At-large councilman Howard Duvall’s term ends this year, and he isn’t running for reelection.
Three people who have never served on council before are vying to fill that seat: Jesse Bullard, Tyler Bailey and Christa Williams.
Elsewhere, in District 3, Councilman Will Brennan is running to keep his seat and faces a challenge from former councilman Moe Baddourah, whom Brennan ousted from the council in 2019.
Ed McDowell also is running to keep his seat in District 2, but he does not have a challenger in that race. McDowell did not respond to multiple requests to participate in The State’s voter guide.
This article includes information on candidates for the at-large and District 3 races.
The election is Nov. 7. You can check your voter registration status at scvotes.gov. Early voting began Oct. 23 and ends Nov. 3.
At-large candidates
Christa Williams
Age: 39
Occupation: Small Business owner, Uncle Willies Grocery Store
Education: Columbia College
Political or civic experience: President - The Rural South Carolina Project (nonprofit) / 2021 - City Council District One Candidate / Member - The Army National Guard Association
Campaign website: www.christawilliams.com
Why are you running for Columbia City Council?
I ran in 2021 City Election and I am running in this election now because our communities in the City of Columbia need a Community Advocate. Our City’s growth should be holistic and balanced, there should be room for everyone to thrive. When we grow balanced, we grow economically as well as socially. I believe that we should have business growth, but also realistic solutions to combat crime and workable solutions for our Unhoused Population.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year on City Council?
If elected, I will advocate for neighborhood funding to be used for beautification projects (tougher laws on illegal dumping), affordable housing projects (tougher laws on vacant and abandoned properties), and working with youth and family services to ensure growth of families to curb violence and crime.
What current practice/policy of Columbia city government would you preserve or enhance?
The Current Hope and Order Project should be expanded beyond providing food and temporary housing to having a secured facility, a structure already existing, that will have mental health treatment, drug and alcohol treatment, etc. This secured facility should also have job training and an option for patients to transition into independent living. Incentivizing home ownership is a way to begin closing the gap on homelessness.
What does the city of Columbia need to do differently?
As our business and overall development expands as a City, we must invest in our neighborhoods to ensure that can effectively combat crime, homelessness, and keep our City beautiful.
Tyler Bailey
Age: 34
Occupation: Attorney, Bailey Law Firm, LLC
Education: Hammond School, Hampton University, Southern University Law Center
Political or civic experience: Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, Board of Directors (2023-2024 Board Chair); One Columbia for Arts and Culture, Board of Directors (2023-2024 Chair); Hammond School Alumni Council; Sistercare, Board of Directors; Wiley Kennedy Foundation, Board of Directors; South Carolina Association for Justice, Board of Governors; South Carolina Black Lawyers Association
Campaign website: Tylerforcolumbia.com
Why are you running for Columbia City Council?
I am running for Columbia City Council At-Large to be a voice for all the people of our great city. This entire city is my community; I won’t pick and choose who I represent. I’m ready to step up to lead our city into its next chapter by serving as a bridge builder who unites us, so we can collectively help Columbia realize the great promise it has for all its people. Our city has seen encouraging signs of economic growth and business investment. But far too many of our neighborhoods have been left behind, and communities are still being neglected. Columbia has the talent, resources and people to be not simply the capital city of our state, but the No. 1 city in South Carolina. It’s my desire to bring us all together to link arms and work to make Columbia the city I know it can be: a place where we all grow and prosper because of one another, not at the expense of each other.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year on City Council?
My number one priority would be reducing gun crime and violence. In 2022 we had a record high in shooting victims and we’re unfortunately on track to exceed the 2022 high. An even more alarming statistic is an overwhelming majority of the shootings involve perpetrators and victims between the ages of 15 and 20. I would work with our parks & recreation department and youth services to provide more innovative ways to keep our young people focused, engaged, and on track to enjoy a life that deviates them from a cycle of crime and violence. It would also be a priority of mine to find a more sustainable and compassionate long-term solution to our growing un-homed population in Columbia.
What current practice/policy of Columbia city government would you preserve or enhance?
Columbia has a solid police department with positive leadership that seeks to protect and preserve the peace. I would fully support the police department and work to strengthen its ability to protect all citizens, including ensuring that no neighborhood is unsafe, left out or overlooked. I would join forces with the police chief, others in law enforcement and fellow council members to address crime on all levels, particularly gun violence that is robbing us of so many young people and stoking fear throughout our communities.
What does the city of Columbia need to do differently?
I would elevate the city’s focus on neighborhoods. As hopeful and excited as I am about Columbia’s promise and the many new businesses and residents who will be lured to our great city, I’m equally excited about those who have long made Columbia home. My goal is to be a strong advocate for neighborhoods that too often lack supporters willing to not only acknowledge issues but help solve them. I will listen for understanding and act for change. I will lead the charge to make all our neighborhoods safe as well as make sure living and raising a family in those neighborhoods isn’t harder or more costly than it ought to be due to a lack of opportunity, poor infrastructure, lack of affordable housing or other issues. I also will work with neighborhood groups and city leaders to ensure communities are clean and livable by enforcing current law. When people know their leaders and city care, they too will care.
Jesse Bullard
Age: 36
Occupation: Vice President, Southern Way Catering
Education: University of South Carolina
Political or civic experience: I Served on the City of Columbia’s Hospitality Tax Committee for 6 years.
Campaign website: bullardforcolumbia.com
Why are you running for Columbia City Council?
My motivation to run for office comes directly from the deep commitment to the city of Columbia. I have immersed myself in the community by establishing small businesses, volunteering for local causes, and raising my family here. As a husband and father to two small children, my priority is ensuring that Columbia has safe streets, family-supporting jobs, and an environment where every resident truly feels their voice is heard. I am a true believer in the potential of our city, and it is my mission to change the narrative that Columbia’s best quality is its proximity to other places. Columbia is vibrant and poised for growth and I am eager to be at the forefront of that transformation.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year on City Council?
Opportunity: Columbia has seen great positive growth in investment and new jobs in the last year and a half. I’ve built successful local businesses and know firsthand how to bring good jobs to our community. I know what business owners need to succeed, and I have a passion for helping others in our community achieve their goals. People in all corners of our city deserve the opportunity to succeed.
Safety: We need to support law enforcement and ensure they have adequate resources to do their jobs. We also need to get to the root causes of crime through engagement and outreach in the community. Ie, community policing, engagement in churches, with after school programs, summer camps...
Solutions: Local government needs problem solvers and people who understand customer service. That’s what I do every day with my businesses. No problem is too small, everyone deserves their voice to be heard, and collaboration is key. We can lift up our entire community by working together.
What current practice/policy of Columbia city government would you preserve or enhance?
Since January of 2022, Columbia has seen significant investment and job growth when compared to previous years. As someone who has built successful local businesses that provide good jobs, I’ll take that experience to build off of this success — to help local businesses succeed, and to ensure people in all of our communities can find good paying, family-supporting jobs. New investment and job growth will increase city revenue and allow us to fund first responders, community organizations, infrastructure improvements, and so much more.
What does the city of Columbia need to do differently?
First responders need to know that they have the resources to keep ALL people safe. They need a unified City Council that will have their backs when they need it, and who will work for change when we need it too. A lot of repeat offenders are often let go, even violent criminals, and while that’s on prosecutors and judges largely, we need advocates at all levels of government on this revolving door issue. We can’t help our future generations succeed if we can’t keep them safe. Too many of these victims and assailants are young people, and that’s an unacceptable failure in our society. Again, we need to get to the root cause of the problem. We need resources early on for youth, after school activities, summer camps, and mentorships. We can’t lose our kids to a cycle of crime, and we have to hold violent criminals accountable. Bond reform passing this year was positive, but it’s only a baby step in closing the revolving door. If you’re running for office right now and you’re not willing to have an honest conversation about making Columbia more safe, you’re not having the right conversation.
District 3 candidates
Will Brennan
Age: 43
Occupation: Historic Real Estate Developer/Small Business Owner
Education: Dreher High School/NC State University
Political or civic experience: Columbia City Council District 3 (elected 2019)
Campaign website: www.VoteWillBrennan.com
Why are you running for Columbia City Council?
I am running for Re-Election to City Council to continue the commitment to providing the residents of Columbia the best quality of life. City services, water infrastructure, safe communities, economic success, and strong cultural and recreational offerings all go into creating that wonderful quality of life, and our City needs to continue to lead in all these aspects.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year on City Council?
I would continue to be innovative in the way we approach recruiting and retaining our talent in our Police and Fire Departments. We have come a long way with a commitment to catch up on the deferred maintenance and growth of our water infrastructure. Residents in District 3 still have brown water and constant water issues, and we will keep our commitment to upgrade these water projects for all of the District. Access to our rivers for our residents is so very important. By investing in the Columbia Gateway Project (the area on the Congaree between Gervais Street and Blossom Street), we can not only create tremendous private investments, but also someday create a world class park with many recreational offerings, with a committed maintenance budget to make sure it stays a world class park.
What current practice/policy of Columbia city government would you preserve or enhance?
Competitive career salaries for our Public Safety professionals is an absolute must. We must continue the commitment to draw talent to our City to keep our communities safe.
What does the city of Columbia need to do differently?
The City of Columbia needs to understand that growth is coming to the Southeast, to the State of South Carolina, to the Midlands, to Richland County and to our City. How we respond to this growth will be important for everyone’s quality of life in the future. The State, the County and the City need to continue to work together to prepare our infrastructure, our roads, our businesses, our public safety and our neighborhoods for growth that doesn’t impact our residents in a negative way. Columbia is going to continue to be an exciting and proud place to live in the next four years.
Moe Baddourah
Age: 60
Occupation:: Owner & Chef, Badd Boys Restaurant
Education: Midlands Tech
Political or civic experience: Former Columbia City Councilman, volunteer fire fighter, former Board Member of Rosewood Crawfish Festival, small business owner, certified fishing instructor
Campaign website: n/a
Why are you running for Columbia City Council?
After many constituents, neighbors and friends felt unrepresented and out of being part of the district and the city. They don’t feel better off now than they did 4 years ago.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year on City Council?
Blighted properties, zoning, improve public safety by locating police substation in/near parks for faster response to emergencies, homelessness, fiscal accountability, investing into a more efficient, long term water lines systems, prioritize and develop partnerships for Animal Services
What current practice/policy of Columbia city government would you preserve or enhance?
Preserve the City Council manager form of government.
What does the city of Columbia need to do differently?
Be more transparent in decision making; this is something that impacts everyone in Columbia. Back room deals have no place in local government!
