Nine candidates officially put their hats in the ring for municipal elections on the first day of qualifications, including three challengers to current incumbents.
Selvain McQueen will challenge incumbent Robert Smith in the Democratic primary for the mayor’s office.
McQueen, 54, served as the city’s police chief from 2011 to his retirement in 2014. He began working with Columbus Police Department in 1988 and has lived in the city since 1987. McQueen owns and operates McQueen’s Investigative and Security Services, Inc.
McQueen said several factors, including high crime in the city, motivated him to run.
“Crime is out of hand, and that’s my business,” McQueen said. “Criminal activity within the city of Columbus is recently out of control.
“I want to restore law and order to the city of Columbus,” he later added. “That will be my number one priority.”
Columbus’ educational system, which McQueen said is “failing” the city’s children, would also be a top priority, as would continued partnership with the Golden Triangle Development LINK to attract further economic development to the city.
McQueen said he also wants to allow department heads to work without “interference” from the mayor’s office or city council. When asked, he stopped short of saying if that was a direct criticism of Smith or current councilmen.
“I want to be the mayor,” he said. “I don’t want to be the police chief–I’ve done that. I don’t want to be the fire chief. I do not want to be the superintendent of public works. You will not catch me contaminating crime scenes.
“You empower people to be able to do their jobs and let them have at it, and if they can’t do it, you find someone else who can,” McQueen added.
Smith, who is seeking his third full term, took office in October 2006 to serve a partial term after former mayor Jeffrey Rupp vacated the position. He has since served two full terms.
Smith also qualified for the mayor’s election on Tuesday.
Turner picks up two challengers
Lavone Latham-Harris qualified late Tuesday to face incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner.
Harris, a Democrat, is a cosmetologist who owns Von’s Exotic Hair Salon. She is also the president of the Lowndes County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and said she will step down from that position once she begins campaigning.
Harris said she’s always felt she made a difference in the community through her involvement in various projects and organizations. She said she hopes to continue doing that by serving on the council.
“I want to represent the people of Ward 4 with respect, dignity and pride,” she said.
“…Ward 4 is more than just what people think of as Memphistown, and I want to represent all of Ward 4. Not only do I want to represent Ward 4, but the citizens of the city, period. You have to work with other councilmen, so I would have to represent the city as a whole.”
Pierre D. Beard also qualified for the Ward 4 race. Beard could not be reached for comment by press time.
Turner had not yet qualified as of Tuesday afternoon, but he told The Dispatch last week he will seek his second term for the Ward 4 post.
Other incumbents qualify
Municipal party primary elections will be held on May 2 with runoffs on May 16, if necessary. General elections will be held on June 6.
An election will be held for each of Columbus’ six city council seats and the mayor’s office.
As of Tuesday, incumbent councilmen Gene Taylor of Ward 1, Joseph Mickens of Ward 2, Charlie Box of Ward 3, Stephen Jones of Ward 5 and Bill Gavin of Ward 6 had qualified for re-election. Each councilman is seeking their third full term except for Jones, who is running for his first full term on the council after serving a partial term to fill the end of former councilman Kabir Karriem’s term.
Qualifications will remain open until 5 p.m. on March 3. Candidates can register to run at the city registrar’s office at 1621 Main St.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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