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Gaskin leads mayor’s race; still too close to call Keith Gaskin and his campaign manager Bennett Windham watch the results roll in at their campaign headquarters in downtown Columbus Tuesday evening. At the end of Tuesday night, Gaskin had a 66-lead over Mayor Robert Smith in the mayoral election with more than 150 affidavit ballots still to be processed. Deanna Robinson/Dispatch Staff
Robert Smith
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since its original publication.
As of late Tuesday night, independent challenger Keith Gaskin had 66 more votes than Democratic Mayor Robert Smith but there are still 158 affidavit ballots to be processed, meaning it remains too close to call.
Slimantics: As good as it gets?
Slim Smith
About halfway through the Columbus Exchange Club’s candidate forum Thursday, my thoughts turned to a line from one of my favorite movies, “As Good as It Gets.”
In the scene, a character is explaining to a neighbor a crisis he is facing and seeks his advice. But he soon grows frustrated by the response he is getting.
“I’m out here drowning and you’re on the bank describing the water,” he laments.
That was the impression I took away from Thursday’s forum. The five city council candidates who participated Pierre Beard, Kori Bridges, Rusty Greene, Kallie Phillips and Marty Turner along with Jacqueline DiCicco, who has no general election opponent and will be seated as the Ward 6 councilman on July 1 all were able to “describe the water.”
Council candidates highlight issues facing city at forum Exchange Club moderator Jerry Fortenberry leads a question-and-answer session with the five city council candidates who turned out for Thursday’s candidate forum Ward 4 challenger Marty Turner, Ward 4 incumbent Pierre Beard, Ward 3 candidate Rusty Greene, Ward 1 candidate Kallie Phillips and Ward 3 candidate Kori Bridges. Slim Smith/Dispatch Staff
Put charitably, Thursday’s Columbus Exchange Club meeting/candidate forum was an example of brevity being the soul of wit.
Candidates for city council races were given five minutes each to speak, which turned out to be more than enough time in every case as they spoke mostly in generalities about the issues facing the city and their plans to address them.
Turner beats Douglas in certified Ward 4 primary
By Dispatch Staff Report 4 hours ago
Marty Turner
Former Columbus councilman Marty Turner has been certified as the winner of the April 6 Democratic primary for Ward 4.
The election results were certified Friday with three affidavit votes added to the April 6 totals. All three votes went to Turner, who finished with 94 votes to 90 for his challenger, Pat Douglas.
Turner, who served on the city council from 2013-17, will now meet incumbent Pierre Beard, running as an independent, in the June 8 general election.
The June 8 election features the mayor’s race between incumbent Democrat Robert Smith and independent challengers Montrell Coburn and Keith Gaskin.