A familiar face and two newcomers Tuesday night were elected to serve the next four years on the Columbus City Council.
Democratic Ward 1 incumbent Gene Taylor; Republican Ward 3 candidate Charlie Box, former director of the Columbus YMCA; and Republican Ward 6 candidate Bill Gavin each soundly defeated their same-party rivals during Columbus” municipal election primary.
Box and Gavin each received about 70 percent of the vote as they went on to beat Republican incumbents Gene Coleman and Jerry Kendall, respectively. Taylor defeated Democratic rival Anthony Sanders 409-104.
Because Box, Gavin and Taylor did not have any opposite-party competition, Tuesday night”s election confirmed their spots on the council.
“I feel really good right now. This has been a long and hard road to travel,” Box said late Tuesday night after embracing friends and family members. “I had a lot of great friends that believed in me and helped me along the way.
“I am very excited about the possibility of the next four years,” Box added.
Gavin and Kendall stood side by side and chatted as election officials posted the results from their ward on a chart projected on the wall at the Columbus Municipal Complex courtroom.
“I feel pretty good right now. I figured it would be a pretty close race between Jerry and I,” Gavin said shortly after he shook hands with Kendall. “I am proud that both of us were able to run a very clean race focused on the issues rather than just competing against one another.”
Taylor was flanked by family members as he stood near the front of the courtroom and watched the results come in.
“It feels good to know that I have so much support in the community,” Taylor said quietly. “I was expecting there to be a great turnout, and it looks like that was the case.”
Although Ward 2 and Ward 5 were not finally decided Tuesday night, the Democratic pool in both wards was reduced to one candidate.
Headed to the general election
Pastor Joseph Mickens Sr. edged out Democratic Ward 2 opponent Troy Miller by a vote of 106-85, and will go on to face Republican Ward 2 incumbent Susan Mackay in the June 2 general election.
“I feel great right now. The first time I ran for this position I lost,” Mickens said with a smile. “I”m definitely not a professional politician or anything, so this makes me very happy.
“Now I just have to get out and run a clean campaign before the general election,” Mickens added. “Ward 2 definitely has two great candidates now. Mrs. Mackay is a wonderful woman, so I feel that Ward 2 will be a winner no matter what happens in the election.”
Kabir Karriem, longtime owner of the Helen”s Kitchen restaurant on 15th Street North, garnered about 61 percent of the Ward 5 vote as he defeated Democratic opponent minister Kenneth McFarland. Karriem will face Republican incumbent Jay Jordan in next month”s general election.
“Oh, it”s definitely cool to win, but we have our work cut out for us now,” Karriem said as friends congratulated him. “Our business has been in the heart of Ward 5 for a long time, and I just can”t thank the residents of that ward enough for everything they”ve done for me.
“Over the next few weeks, I”m going to have to get out there and work to win over those who didn”t vote for me this time,” Karriem added.
During the June 2 general election, voters also will have the chance to vote for mayoral candidates Thom Geiger, independent, or Robert Smith, Democratic incumbent.
Those elected Tuesday and during the general election will be sworn into office July 6 and will serve until 2013.
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