Final four Columbia council candidates debate

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Last week’s Columbia municipal election garnered about 12 percent voter turnout. So few people voted, that no candidate in either city council race was able to earn a majority of the votes. At a community forum Wednesday night, district two candidates Aaron Bishop and Ed McDowell, along with at-large candidates Andy Smith and Howard Duvall, answered questions from a panel and the audience. When asked what sets him apart from his opponent, Bishop says it’s his ties to Columbia that led him to this campaign in the first place, and will guide him in the future. He says his leadership shown through five years on the Richland School District One board, and as a pastor at his church, speak for how he will approach sitting in a seat in chambers. His opponent, McDowell says his experience, as a district superintendent in the United Methodist Church consulting and managing, sets him apart. But he says his leadership would be nothing without the feedback and support of his community. District two sweeps from St. Andrews, through the city center, up to Dentsville and down to Olympia. In the race for the at large seat representing the entire municipality, it’s Smith versus Duvall. Smith is the executive director of the Nickelodeon Theatre. He facilitated its move to the restored Fox Theatre downtown. Smith says Columbia needs to set itself apart by attracting and retaining new talent to the city. It’s a balance between taking on new projects and fixing old problems. This is Duvall’s sixth political campaign. He served as the mayor of Cheraw for six years and worked for the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Twice the age of Smith, he says he has double the experience. Duvall says he really has a grasp over what it takes to actually make dreams a reality. The runoff is Tuesday November 17. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If there is something that will prevent you from voting next Tuesday, you can cast your absentee ballot at the Richland County Elections Office between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday.