Former state Rep. Jed Harris won’t run for Columbus mayor in 2018

Jed Harris Jr., a former state representative and 2002 candidate for Columbus mayor, said Thursday he won’t run for mayor in 2018.

Harris, 62, of Columbus said he decided to make the decision after supporters asked him to consider a run. Councilor Berry “Skip” Henderson, 58, is considering a run for the office after serving 20 years on the 10-member board. Henderson was re-elected to an at-large post last year.

With the election set for May 22, 2018, Harris said it takes a year to run a strong campaign for mayor. Qualifying for the race is March 5-9, 2018.

“The decision I have reached after much consideration is I will not be a candidate for mayor, nor will I be a candidate for any elected office in 2018,” Harris said. “I will continue being very, very involved in the community.”

Harris said he will spend the next four years focusing on retirement. “I hope I don’t disappoint people,” he said. “At the same time, I hope they understand that when you reach a certain stage of life, retirement planning becomes a very important issue.”

While he won’t be a candidate, Harris said attracting new jobs will be an issue in the race. He said the city hasn’t been able to attract the number of jobs nor the type of jobs that it needs. “The next mayor, in my opinion, should be someone who can make a difference in terms of helping to bring more jobs and better paying jobs in working in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.”

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Former state Rep. Jed Harris won’t run for Columbus mayor in 2018."