3 officials who sued city to face opposition in 2016 election

Three of the four local elected officials who are suing the city of Columbus have drawn at least tentative opposition in the 2016 municipal election.

Sheriff John Darr, Marshal Greg Countryman and Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton-Bishop will face opposition, according to documents filed with the city's election office.

Two of the four challengers contacted Friday said if elected, they would dismiss the lawsuits against the city.

Opponents for those three offices have filed Declaration of Intent forms with the Elections and Registration Office, but that does not make them candidates. They will still have to officially qualify, which will take place March 7-11. The city election for non-partisan offices and primaries for partisan races are slated for May 24. Partisan elections are on Election Day in November.

Robert Keith Smith and Pam Brown have declared their intention to oppose Darr as Democrats. Darr, who has twice been elected as a Democrat, confirmed Friday that he will seek re-election but is undecided on party affiliation. No candidate has filed as a Republican.

Darr narrowly defeated Brown in the 2012 Democratic Primary, winning by less than half a percentage point, before easily defeating Republican Mark LaJoye in the General Election.

A 2013 change in the law allows incumbents who have been elected in a partisan race to simply declare themselves as an independent candidate, without going through the process of collecting 5,000 signatures on a petition, said Nancy Boren, director of elections and registration.

"It can change the whole dynamic," she said. "Any of the incumbents can sit back and look at who qualifies and wait until about 11 o'clock on Friday and say, 'You know what? I think I'm going to run as an independent.'

"They can save all that time, energy and money, duking it out in the primary and just wait until November. I think it changes the whole complexion of an incumbent's race."

Countryman and Pierce said Friday that they intend to seek office as Democrats, as they have in the past. Creighton-Bishop could not be reached for comment.

Sylvia Ann Hudson declared that she would face Creighton-Bishop for clerk of Superior Court.

Hudson, 49, said she worked in the Municipal Court clerk's office for 30 years until resigning late last year.

She said if she were elected, she would not carry on the lawsuit against the city that was filed in late 2014.

Bernard Spicer, a 20-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, intends to face Countryman.

Spicer, 62, is an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Virginia University. He, too, said if he were elected, he would not carry on the lawsuit against the city.

Neither Smith nor Brown could be reached Friday for comment.

Three people have declared intentions to seek seats on Columbus Council. Marquese Kwame Averett intends to run for Post 4, currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Evelyn Turner Pugh. Walker Garrett intends to see Post 8, currently held by Tom Buck, who is serving out the term of the late Red McDaniel and has said he will not run for the seat. Teddy Reese intends to face Post 10 at-large Councilor Skip Henderson's seat.

Attorney Cynthia Maisano has filed her intention to face Municipal Court Judge Steve Smith, who defeated her in 2012, 52-48 percent. There have been no declarations of intent filed in the Muscogee County School Board races.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 10:28 PM with the headline "3 officials who sued city to face opposition in 2016 election."