Two new candidates qualified in Columbus City Council races before Friday’s filing deadline, an independent candidate in Ward 3 and a Republican challenger in Ward 6.
Jacqueline DiCicco will face incumbent Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin in the Republican primary in April. The winner will automatically have the seat, since there are no Democratic or third-party candidates running in Ward 6.
DiCicco, 71, has been a professional esthetician in the Golden Triangle since 2000 and has owned and operated Jacqueline DiCicco Skin Care Center in northern Columbus since 2005. She grew up in Caledonia and holds a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women and a master’s from Mississippi State University.
DiCicco is also a past member of the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, the Association for Quality and Participation, the Columbus Exchange Club and the Mississippi University for Women Alumni Board.
She told The Dispatch she is running for office with the goal of creating change in the city.
“I had hoped someone else from Ward 6 would come forward,” she said. “When I saw that was not the case, I felt it was up to me to do my part and serve my city. I want to be a part of the solution. I want Columbus to live up to its potential.”
Primary elections are April 6. The general election will be June 8.
Ward 3 race
Kori Bridges is the third candidate in the Ward 3 race, and as an independent, he will not be on the primary ballot in April.
The race also includes Republican Rusty Greene and Democrat Sally Brown Tate. All are vying to succeed Councilman Charlie Box, who is not running for re-election.
Bridges is pastor of two local United Methodist churches: New Hope UMC just north of New Hope and St. Michael’s UMC in Macon, according to the online clergy directory for the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church. He posts videos of his Sunday sermons on his Facebook page, and he is a Lowndes County native and an East Mississippi Community College graduate.
Bridges did not answer an email from The Dispatch by press time.
Other races
Other competitive races for which qualifiers filed before Friday include independent candidates Montrell Coburn and Keith Gaskin challenging incumbent Mayor Robert Smith; Democrat Tommy Jackson and independent Kallie Phillips challenging Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Taylor Stewart, a Democrat; and Democrats Pat Fisher Douglas and former councilman Marty Turner challenging incumbent Pierre Beard, an independent, in Ward 4.
Councilmen Joseph Mickens of Ward 2 and Stephen Jones of Ward 5 are unopposed for re-election.
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
