‘It’s time to slow down.’ Mimi Woodson will not run for Columbus Council in 2022
After serving nearly three decades on Columbus Council, Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson has decided it’s time to move on.
Woodson, who currently represents District 7, announced during last week’s council meeting that she will not seek reelection in 2022.
Her decision will end a historic run. Woodson, 64, said she is one of the state’s longest-serving Hispanic elected officials. She won her first race in 1994, becoming the first Latina elected to a Georgia city council, McClatchy News reported.
“It’s time to retire and enjoy family and friends,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I’ll still be doing stuff in the community — just not in that position. ...I’m a workaholic, and it’s time to slow down.”
Woodson’s decision to leave
Woodson’s decision to leave at the end of her term was heavily influenced by her health problems and the death of her mother.
“Last year was a terrible year that made me reevaluate life,” she said.
Her mother, Iris Violet Ramos, died in 2020 just shy of her 87th birthday. She was living in a nursing homing and battling Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, at the time of her death.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the pair. Woodson spent four and a half months battling a coronavirus infection, its long-term effects and other health issues. She got sick at the beginning of the pandemic, and at first, doctors weren’t sure what was wrong, she said. The illness prevented Woodson from visiting her mother.
Then, COVID-19 restrictions prevented nursing homes from receiving visitors, and Woodson said that her mother started feeling lonely and abandoned. Woodson used to visit her mother every day, often taking her to go get drinks and get their nails done.
“When I was well, I went to see her through the window,” Woodson said. “She was like ‘Come get me. Come on in. Don’t you love me?’ ...I think she just gave up.”
When her mother was under hospice care, Woodson was allowed to be by her side until her death. The loss left a gaping hole in Woodson’s life, she said.
Ramos, Woodson said, lived up to her floral names. She had a beautiful garden, and she let neighbors pick from her plot. She cooked Latin food and invited folks over to eat. She was sweet and beloved by those who knew her.
Woodson said she lost a friend, a sister and her world.
“Her dying destroyed a big part of my life,” she said. “She was an amazing woman. ...She took part of me with her.”
Away from city politics, Woodson hopes to spend as much time with her grandchildren as possible. She wants to have more flexibility for things like traveling to North Carolina to see her grandson participate in taekwondo tournaments on short notice.
“I just want to give that same feeling to my grandkids,” she said. “I want to be my mom for my grandkids.”
What’s next?
It’s unclear what Woodson’s political future holds. She did not rule out a future run for state office. A few people have reached out to ask if she’ll run for the Georgia House of Representatives seat currently held by Calvin Smyre.
Smyre was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. That appointment has to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
But right now, Woodson said she just wants to enjoy some time with family and friends.
“I’ve been working since I was 13 nonstop, and I just turned 64,” she said. “I think I deserve a little break.”
As of late December, only one candidate is seeking the District 7 seat. Laketha Ashe filed a declaration of intent on Nov. 15.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 1:33 PM.