Columbia attorney Tyler Bailey adds name to crowded City Council at-large race | Columbia

COLOMBIA – A lawyer from Colombia is the youngest person to join a growing city council race.

Tyler Bailey announced on April 5 that he would run for the seat of Columbia City Council, which will be vacated by longtime councilor Tameika Isaac Devine.

Devine is running for mayor after Mayor Steve Benjamin announced in February that he would step down at the end of the year.

Environmental lobbyist and former educator Deitra Mathews, IT project manager and business owner Heather Bauer, and public health researcher Aditi Bussells have also campaigned for the general seat. Candidate submission will not officially open until August

When announcing his campaign, Bailey referred to his hometown of Elmwood Park and promised to help companies recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Columbia has grown a lot in the last 10 years,” said Bailey in his campaign video. “But unfortunately, some of our neighborhoods are being left behind. Grocery stores are disappearing. Affordable housing is difficult to find, and Columbia should be a place where anyone can live and have a family, regardless of which side of town you live on.”

32-year-old Bailey is an attorney in his own law firm and practices personal injury, labor compensation, family and civil law, according to his website.

He is a board member of Compass Community Development Corp., an organization focused on educational and economic opportunities in the community, and a board member of The Talented Tenth, an organization that supports young professionals in the black community.

The campaign season essentially began with Sam Davis’ announcement that he was stepping down from his long-standing seat as representative of North Columbia and District 1 on the council.

Benjamin announced in February that he would not seek a fourth term, and councilors Devine and Daniel Rickenmann, along with former Benjamin aide Sam Johnson, declared their intention to run for mayor. Devine and Johnson have officially launched their campaigns, while Rickenmann has announced that his efforts will begin in earnest later this spring.

Attorney Tina Herbert, a former head of the city’s business office, will be running for Davis’ seat. Former Trade Secretary and Developer Joe Taylor is considering a run for Rickenmann’s District 4 headquarters, which represents the neighborhoods east of downtown.

Contact Stephen Fastenau at 803-365-3235. Follow him on Twitter @StephenFastenau.