For 1st time, Muscogee Democrats endorse Columbus mayoral and council candidates
Despite the offices of Columbus mayor and city council being called nonpartisan, the Muscogee County Democratic Committee — for the first time in its history — has issued endorsements of candidates in those races.
The MCDC endorses Isaiah Hugley for mayor. For the city council, the committee endorses Simi Barnes in District 1, Sherrie Aaron in District 3, Robert Wadkins Jr. in District 5 and John Van Doorn in citywide District 9.
District 7 is the only other seat on the 10-member Columbus Council up for election May 19, but the MCDC didn’t endorse a candidate in the race because the committee didn’t reach a consensus, according to the news release.
The MCDC also endorsed three candidates in statewide nonpartisan races: Jen Auer Jordan and Miracle Rankin for the Georgia Supreme Court and Will Wooten for the Georgia Court of Appeals.
No endorsements were made for any candidates running for nonpartisan seats on the Muscogee County School Board, MCDC chairwoman Royal Anderson told the Ledger-Enquirer, because none of these candidates submitted an application.
In the MCDC’s news release, Anderson said the committee decided to endorse candidates in nonpartisan races for the first time “because we believe voters deserve clear, values-based guidance across the entire ballot. These endorsements reflect a thoughtful, transparent process focused on qualifications, integrity and a commitment to serving the people of Muscogee County.”
According to its news release, the MCDC sent applications for endorsement to all candidates running for nonpartisan offices from March 13-23. The committee met as a caucus April 14-15 to vote on endorsements among the candidates who submitted their applications.
Candidates had to receive at least two-thirds of the vote of the MCDC to be endorsed. Anderson told the L-E that approximately 30 committee members voted for the endorsements. Then the Democratic Party of Georgia’s Executive Committee approved the MCDC’s proposed slate of endorsed candidates.
“With this slate, the Muscogee County Democratic Committee took action to support a more progressive, pro-democracy, pro-diversity, pro-sustainability future for Columbus-Muscogee County, Georgia and the nation, and is motivated to do so again in any potential June 16 runoff,” the news release says.
Muscogee GOP chairman reacts
The Muscogee County Republican Party hasn’t and won’t endorse nonpartisan candidates, chairman Ricky Weeks told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“If you’re not going to run by party, you shouldn’t get the endorsement from a particular party because you’re supposed to be nonpartisan,” he said.
Although this is the first time the MCDC has publicly endorsed nonpartisan candidates, Weeks said, “they’ve done it in the past, but they just haven’t come out and told anybody.
“They only invite certain candidates to come speak at their meetings. … So, I mean, this has been going on for years. It’ just now that they decided to come out with it.”
