Three candidates qualify in the race for Columbus Mayor
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The races for Mayor and City Council are beginning to take shape in Columbus, and some of them are getting crowded.
In the race for Mayor, three men have qualified.
Democrats Leroy Brooks and Stephen Jones will have to face off in a primary.
Bill Strauss is running as an Independent.
A few months ago, Mayor Keith Gaskin announced he would not seek re-election.
In Ward One, incumbent City Councilwoman Ethel Stewart will have at least one challenger from within her own party.
Tommie Smith has entered that race.
Ward 2 Councilman and current Vice Mayor, Joseph Mickens has picked up two challengers so far, Laisha “MS She-She” O’Neal and Roderick Smith.
So far, Ward three Councilman Rusty Greene has no opposition.
Over in Ward four Lavonne Harris has qualified as a Democrat, while Robert S. Johnson the Fourth is running as a Republican. To date, the incumbent, Pierre Beard, has not filed his paperwork to run.
Wards 5 and 6 will both be open since Stephen Jones is running for Mayor and Jacqueline DiCicco will not seek re-election.
Four people have qualified in Ward 5: Cequelia Clark, Sedrick Fenster, Gary Jefferson, and Mary Beth Jeter.
So far, only Jason Spears has qualified in Ward 6.
The deadline to qualify is January 31.
