Mayoral elections in Columbia, South Carolina

Elections in South Carolina

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* v
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Mayoral elections in Columbia are held every four years to elect the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina.

All Columbia municipal elections are required to be non-partisan, but most candidates can be affiliated with political parties. Columbia uses a two-round system, where election runoffs are held if no candidate obtains the majority of the vote.

## 2010 special

[edit]

2010 Columbia mayoral special election

* * *

| ← 2009 | April 6, 2010 (first round)
April 21, 2010 (runoff) | 2013 →

|
|

|   |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Stephen K. Benjamin | Kirkman Finlay III
First round  | 6,067
35.53% | 5,485
32.12%
Runoff | 10,894
55.19% | 8,845
44.81%

* * *

|  |
Candidate  | Steve Morrison  |
First round  | 5,053
29.59%  |
Runoff | Eliminated |

* * *

| Mayor before election

Bob Coble
Democratic

| Elected mayor

Stephen K. Benjamin
Democratic

|

The 2010 Columbia mayoral special election took place on April 6, 2010, to elect the next mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Bob Coble did not seek re-election. A runoff was held on April 21, 2010, since no candidate surpassed 50%. In the runoff Democrat Stephen K. Benjamin defeated Republican candidate Kirkman Finlay III. Daniel became the first African American mayor of Columbia.[1]

Mayor of Columbia, 2010 (Special first round) UNOFFICIAL RESULTS[2]

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Steve Benjamin  | 6,067  | 35.53%
Kirkman Finlay III  | 5,485  | 32.12%
Steve Morrison  | 5,053  | 29.59%
Aaron Johnson  | 215  | 1.26%
Joseph S. Azar  | 175  | 1.02%
Sparkle Clark  | 49  | 0.29%
Nammu Muhammad  | 28  | 0.16%
Write-in  | 5  | 0.03%
Total  | 17,077  | 100.00%
Mayor of Columbia, 2010 (Special Runoff)[3]

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Steve Benjamin  | 10,894  | 55.19%
Kirkman Finlay III  | 8,845  | 44.81%
Total  | 19,739  | 100.00%

## 2013

[edit]

2013 Columbia mayoral election

* * *

| ← 2010 (special) | November 5, 2013 | 2017 →

|
|

|   |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Stephen K. Benjamin | Moe Baddourah
Popular vote  | 10,401 | 5,594
Percentage  | 64.13% | 34.49%

* * *

| Mayor before election

Stephen K. Benjamin
Democratic

| Elected mayor

Stephen K. Benjamin
Democratic

|

The 2013 Columbia mayoral election took place on November 5, 2013, to elect the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin won re-election to a full term. There was no need for a runoff election since Benjamin received more than 50% of the vote.

### Results

[edit]

Mayor of Columbia, 2013[4]

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Steve Benjamin (incumbent)  | 10,401  | 64.13%
Moe Baddourah  | 5,594  | 34.49%
Larry A Sypolt.  | 167  | 1.03%
Write-in  | 57  | 0.35%
Total  | 16,219  | 100.00%

## 2017

[edit]

Incumbent Democratic Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin was the only candidate to file; he was automatically declared re-elected with no votes.[5]

Mayor of Columbia, 2017

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Steve Benjamin  | 0  | 100.00%

## 2021

[edit]

2021 Columbia mayoral election

* * *

| ← 2017 | November 2, 2021 (first round)
November 16, 2021 (runoff) | 2025 →

|
|

|   |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Daniel Rickenmann | Tameika Isaac Devine
First round  | 8,417
43.51% | 5,846
30.22%
Runoff | 10,606
52.00% | 9,789
48.00%

* * *

|  |
Candidate  | Sam Johnson  |
First round  | 4,710
24.35%  |
Runoff | Eliminated |

* * *

| Mayor before election

Stephen K. Benjamin
Democratic

| Elected mayor

Daniel Rickenmann
Republican

|

The 2021 Columbia mayoral election took place on November 2, 2021, to elect the next mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin did not seek re-election to a third term.[6] A runoff was held on November 16, 2021, since no candidate surpassed 50%. In the runoff Republican Daniel Rickenmann defeated Democratic candidate Tameika Isaac Devine. Daniel became the first Republican mayor of Columbia since 1990.[7][8]

The election was officially non-partisan, but some candidates were affiliated with political parties.

Devine was endorsed by former U.S. president Barack Obama and House Whip Jim Clyburn. Previously, Columbia has historically voted for Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden for U.S. president by nearly 40 points. Its two previous mayors, Bob Coble and Steve Benjamin were Democrats.[9][10] Some Republicans, including Ben Shapiro and United States Senator Rick Scott of Florida, cited Rickenmann's win as part of a "red wave."[11][12]

### Results

[edit]

Election for Mayor of Columbia first round, 2021[13]

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Daniel Rickenmann | 8,417  | 43.51%
Tameika Isaac Devine | 5,846  | 30.22%
Sam Johnson  | 4,710  | 24.35%
Moe Baddourah  | 364  | 1.88%
Write-in  | 9  | 0.05%
Total  | 19,346  | 100.00%
Runoff election for Mayor of Columbia, 2021[a][14]

Candidate  | Votes  | %
Daniel Rickenmann | 10,606  | 52.00%
Tameika Isaac Devine  | 9,789  | 48.00%
Total  | 20,395  | 100.00%

## 2025

[edit]

2025 Columbia mayoral election

* * *

| ← 2021 | November 4, 2025 | 2029 →

|
|

* * *

| Incumbent Mayor

Daniel Rickenmann
Republican

|

## See also

[edit]

* Mayoral elections in Charleston, South Carolina
* Elections in South Carolina

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Rickenmann and Devine went to a runoff election since no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the initial election.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "South Carolina capital elects 1st black mayor". NBC News. 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
2. ^ "Richland County: Unofficial Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
3. ^ "City of Columbia Run-off: Official Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
4. ^ "Richland County: Official Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
5. ^ "Dubious new distinction for Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
6. ^ "Daniel Rickenmann sworn in as new mayor of Columbia". The State. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
7. ^ Fastenau, Stephen (2021-11-16). "Rickenmann wins Columbia mayor's race; Bussells takes at-large seat". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
8. ^ "Mayoral election in Columbia, South Carolina (2021)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
9. ^ "Columbia Mayor Bob Coble drops out of Senate race". WIS-TV. October 20, 2003. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
10. ^ GAYNOR, GERREN KEITH (May 13, 2023). "Meet Stephen Benjamin, the most senior Black man in the White House". The Grio. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
11. ^ Miller, Andrew. "GOP defeats Obama-endorsed candidate in deep blue city that Biden won handily in 2020". Fox News. Fox. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
12. ^ Fastenau, Stephen. "As Republicans laud Rickenmann's Columbia mayor win, many downplay impact on city politics". The Post and Courier Columbia. The Post and Courier. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
13. ^ "2021 Municipal Election Day Election Night Reporting". SC Votes. State of South Carolina. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
14. ^ "2021 Municipal Election Day - Runoff Election Night Reporting". SC Votes. State of South Carolina.

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