COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia mayoral race will be decided by a runoff between Daniel Rickenmann and Tameika Isaac Devine on Tuesday, November 16.
This evening, Wednesday, November 10, News19 is partnering with the Post & Courier to host a mayoral debate with both candidates starting at 7 p.m. News19's J.R. Berry and Post & Courier's Andy Shain will co-moderate.
If you have a question you want answered from the candidates -- text them in to 803-776-9508. You'll be able to see the full debate live on our website at wltx.com and it will also be streamed on our Youtube page.
In the general election, no candidate got 50 percent of the vote, which under Columbia election rules means a runoff is required. Rickenmann got 44 percent of the vote, with Devine second with 30 percent. The two are longtime members of the city council. Sam Johnson finished third and Moe Baddourah finished fourth.
Devine was the first African American woman elected to Columbia’s At-Large District in 2002. During her time on City Council, Devine worked to establish the City’s Criminal Domestic Violence Task Force and the Affordable Housing Task Force, co-chaired the Workforce Initiative Project (WIP), and aided the reorganization of the City’s courts system.
Rickenmann was first elected as an At-Large member in 2004 and served two terms before not seeking re-election. He was elected to represent District 4 in 2018. A business consultant, Rickenmann has owned and partnered to operate several restaurants in Columbia’s Five Points area, including Birds on A Wire, MoMo’s Bistro and Yo Burrito.
Columbia is picking a new mayor because incumbent Steve Benjamin choose not to seek re-election after 11 years in office. Benjamin was the city’s first African-American mayor. Benjamin said he was leaving to focus on his law firm and family.
Columbia has had just two mayors in the past 31 years, with Bob Coble's 20 years preceding Benjamin's term.