Who’s running for Columbus Council? Here’s what we know so far about the candidates.

Two sitting Columbus Council members have declared their intention to run for another term this year, while three newcomers have also entered their names in the mix.

John House, District 10 at-large councilor, has announced his intention to run for a second term, as has Walker Garrett, District 8 councilor.

Laketha Ashe filed campaign documents to run against House, but said Monday she is still considering whether to continue to pursue the seat due to the recent death of a family member.

Two candidates have filed to run for the District 4 post, Elaine Gillispie and Toyia Tucker. The seat was long held by Evelyn Turner Pugh, who retired in October after nearly 31 years on council.

Valerie A. Thompson was appointed to serve the remainder of Pugh’s term, and said upon her nomination she would not be seeking election to the seat in 2020.

The other council seats up for election are currently held by Gary Allen, District 6, and Glenn Davis, District 2.

If the candidates qualify in March, their names will be listed on the ballot for the General Primary Election on May 19.

To find out which council district you reside in, visit this map on the city website and enter your address.

This story will be updated as more candidates enter the race.

John House, District 10 incumbent

House, 66, says he is running again because he believes he still has much to contribute and wants Columbus to “continue to grow and prosper.”

House won the citywide District 10 seat in a runoff in 2018, filling the vacated seat of newly-elected Mayor Skip Henderson. Henderson had held the post since 1996.

House had previously run unsuccessfully for Congress in 2012, securing the Republican party nomination against Second Congressional District Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop.

Moving forward, House said continuing to support public safety remains high on his list of priorities.

“Clearly, we have a problem with violent crime,” House said. “I believe my record of always being available to support citizens with any concern around the city is part of the process of identifying the underlying causes for crime, so that all of us can take the steps needed to reduce it.”

House graduated valedictorian of Columbus High School and had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel in July 2001. He retired as a part-time public administration instructor at Columbus State University and other universities after 12 years.

He said he thinks he is well suited to serve due to his wide experience with both life as a civilian in Columbus as well as knowledge of the concerns of military personnel.

“(My) military and veteran connection helps me understand better than many people the concerns of a large part of our population,” he said. “Growing up here with no connection with Fort Benning at that time helps me understand the non-military aspects of life in Columbus. I grew up in a blue-collar, union family...my circle of friends on both sides of the Chattahoochee provide me with a unique experience set for this city and region.”

Walker Garrett, District 8 incumbent

Garrett, 35, is an attorney at Morgan & Morgan. He was first elected in 2016 to fill the unexpired term of C.E. “Red” McDaniel, who died in 2014. After serving out the remainder of that term he began a new four-year term in January 2017.

A Columbus native, he graduated from Pacelli High School in 2003, Huntingdon College in 2007 and Mercer University Law School in 2010.

Garrett said he’s ready for a second term now that he has become comfortable with the many departments, staff and operations of the city.

“When I got elected to council I had no idea all the different moving parts with the budget, with the different ordinances we have in effect and all the different ways that things affect the city,” he said.

He says one of his biggest priorities has been addressing neighborhood issues such as blight, hoarding and absentee landlords. Along with supporting the mayor’s $1 million initiative to help eliminate blight, Garrett said he has also focused on making changes to codes and ordinances to help clean up neighborhoods in his “diverse” district.

“We’ve got areas that are just absolutely in pristine condition and then we’ve got areas that suffer from blight and suffer from poverty, and what I’ve seen is a lot of the poverty follows where we let areas become run down,” Garrett said. “Something I’ve been passionate about and we’ve been constantly revising the codes and ordinances on is related to how we govern what other people may think of as treasure, but the majority of folks are going to think of as trash sitting in the front yard.”

Garrett referenced a discussion from last week’s council meeting about changing the eviction process, which currently leads to all of a former tenant’s belongings being dumped out onto the street. When that happens along main thoroughfares, it may affect investors or potential residents’ decision to come to Columbus, he said.

“That’s a real concern...and we’ve got to find a way to fix it,” he said.

Garrett says the city needs to support landlords who want to help the community as a way to prevent crime.

“It’s going to take more than just hiring more police officers,” he said. “It’s going to take an approach from neighbors, homeowners, and it’s going to take the landlords also working with us to help us get the community where we want it to be.”

Elaine Gillispie, District 4 candidate

Gillispie, 63, is a former field representative for Second Congressional District Congressman Sanford Bishop. This is her first run for a city council seat.

She worked for the second district for 18 years, and retired in August.

She has a varied background, having also worked as a Columbus firefighter for nine and a half years, in the Muscogee County Tax Commissioner’s office for two and a half years and a U.S. Army veteran of six and a half years. Gillispie was born in Columbus and was stationed at Fort Benning during her time in the Army, moving back to Columbus from Germany in 1989.

Being retired, Gillispie said she can make work as a Columbus councilor her full time job.

“I’m a widow...and so District 4 will get my 100 percent attention,” she said.

If elected, Gillispie said she wants to make sure the residents of the fourth District get their fair share of the growth that the rest of the city receives.

“And I want to make sure that everybody is held accountable, not just elected officials but appointed officials as well because appointed officials answer to the city council answers to their constituency,” she said. “The buck stops with elected officials, because they’re the ones who are held responsible.”

If elected, Gillispie says she will want to hear from her constituents on what they want her to do.

“I hope the citizens will give me an opportunity to serve them to the best of my ability and the way that they want me to serve in,” she said. “I want to make sure they know that I’m there for them, I’m accountable, and I will always be open to any suggestions.”

Toyia Tucker, District 4 candidate

Tucker is a Columbus native and this is her first time running for a council seat. She ran for the District 4 school board seat in 2018 and eventually lost to Naomi Buckner.

She retired as a non-commissioned officer after 12 years in the U.S. Air Force. In 2010, Tucker began working as a Systems Administrator for the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) at Gunter Air Force Base.

According to a press release, Tucker was inspired by the Columbus 2025 goals of reducing poverty, increasing prosperity and improving the quality of life for Columbus residents, and is using the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce initiative as the foundation of her campaign platform.

“It just makes sense,” Tucker said. “I’ve been paying attention to the discussions centered around this initiative for a while now, and I see the changes happening. It’s an awesome initiative, the committee has put a lot of thought into the strategic plan, and I think we should work to see it come to fruition in every neighborhood in this city. Why reinvent the wheel, when an excellent strategic plan for the city already exists?”

Tucker said would have big shoes to fill if elected to serve District 4 following Evelyn Turner Pugh.

“Evelyn paved the way not only for District 4, but for the city at large,” Tucker said. “I want to continue her legacy and make improvements to District 4 that will directly benefit its residents. I want to ensure that the pool at Shirley B is repaired, and I want to see Carver Park become a vibrant and connected place with walkable trails and beautiful spaces for the community to use. Ultimately, I want to ensure that District 4 has safe livable spaces just as we are seeing in other parts of the city.”

According to her bio, Tucker is a former board member for The Family Center of Columbus, a former youth advisor for the Columbus branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and currently serves on the board of directors for Standing Against Violence Education (SAVE).

A Carver High School graduate, she has a bachelors degree from the University of Phoenix.

This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 1:01 PM.