Campaign Phone
839-246-0280
Campaign Email
wadefulmer@gmail.com
Education
Univ. of SC: BS - Business Mgmt, BA - Sociology, AS - Institutional Adm. (Hotel - Restaurant). AS - Accounting. Certificate - Paralegal. U.S. Army, B-11-20, Infantry, Vietnam Vet, Bronze Star. Other Edu.: Varioius on the job certificates re: health facilities regulation and licensing, alcohol and drug treatment (SCADA), and casework management / client supervision.
Qualifications
My duties journey began with school years paper routes and in the textile mills of Graniteville. Then to Army infantry Vietnam, to USC, to businesses and to state agencies of health regulation, criminal justice, casework, administrative services and enforcement vocations. Included were health / accounting analyst positions, case work management and supervision of clients / compliance teams, interactions among Departments and directors. Decades advocacy for healthcare, vets, peace and justice.
City system, mayoral duty, requires due response and transparency policy for needs and priorities. Not a culture of rhetoric, silence, or distraction. Not lack of discernment, misleading delays, sweep around, or making excuses for system wrong or inaction. There must be response and reply to residents for health and order for every community. The system must do duty for constituents' concerns, for violated victims and neighborhood. City duty is to provide answers, to correct any system of preference for favored special interest, issue avoidance, or of can do wrongful privilege. Ex: non-challenge of Repeal of Ban on Conversion Therapy, or non-enforcement of simple nuisance or noise law. Neighborhoods matter. Every community matters.
Enough, the "luxury apartments" excessive building. Moratorium on the "luxuries" with priority immediate planning and action affordable housing, and as well serious re-emphasis housing collaborations for the homeless. Establish requirements of priority needs For residents, workers, families, homeless, for expansion of housing programs. Establish ratio of for every new or to be renovated high end apartment or home that there shall first be a newly provided or under construction "residential property" of affordable housing for neighborhoods, our the City residents.
Neighborhoods' coalitions be listened to that crime in residents' communities are Not less priority than downtown to be joint security responsibilities and costs sharing. Business owners and residential neighborhoods balance a must to be achieved. Additional community - City efforts to reduce firearms. Additional night driver checks, stops of probable cause and intoxication checks. Emphasis on mental health information and referral, services, in schools, for youth and families. Reality Therapy readiness requirement that offenders do corrective behavior or receive certain consequence/s. More collaborative training of community and institutions staff to intervene, action taken in first responses to lessen likelihood of same or repeat crime.
1) Overly expensive and intrusive "beautification" while ignoring neighborhood Needs of health and order, including roads speeders. More attention to identify obstructive or ineffective traffic signs / deterioration of roads, including neglected separations / pot holes, all dangerous and costly to auto owners. 2) Staffing reviews to reduce any unnecessary multi-levels' high salary positions. Instead, more well trained and better paid workers on the ground or in the details duties. 3) Good governance true discernment, duty to do advice, health and order follow through, rule of law, system accountability.
Campaign Phone
8039209541
Campaign Email
rickenmannformayor@gmail.com
Education
Bachelors in Political Science, University of South Carolina
Qualifications
Before being elected Mayor, Daniel served multiples terms on the Columbia City Council
When I first ran for city council, I ran because I was frustrated that the small businesses didn’t have a seat at the able. When I ran for Mayor, I saw an opportunity to continue working to change the mindset of Columbia and position the Capital City for further growth. I wanted to bring a business mindset to City Hall, with a focus on safety, opportunity, and efficiency. Over the past three and a half years, we’ve proven that approach works, by lowering crime, landing major economic projects, and putting people first. We want to continue finishing long-awaited projects and developing innovative partnerships for the future.
It starts with data-influenced approaches: Columbia needs 16,000 new units over the next decade. We’re meeting that through partnerships, leveraging state, federal, and grant funds, and investing directly in both new builds and neighborhood revitalization. We modernized permitting and zoning to speed up development. Last fiscal year alone, we permitted almost 2, 000 units. My focus is simple - more housing options at every price point. We need diverse housing stock because we know our younger and older home-seekers want options in size and ownership.
I'll keep scaling what’s already working which includes hot-spot policing, community engagement through the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and clinician co-response for crisis calls. We’ve paired those approaches with investments in technology and training. On top of that, we’re building prevention, training young people in conflict resolution and engaging faith leaders through the “4 Block Promise.” These practices are why violent crime and traffic fatalities were down double digits in 2024. We must continue to support our police officers and give them the training, technology, and tools to keep our community safe. You can’t have thriving neighborhoods or businesses without safety as a top priority.
Keep neighborhoods safe through the Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire, and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement – investing in these resources and people.
Deliver more affordable housing through partnerships while continuing to serve as a convener with service providers to find solutions for serving the growing unsheltered population.
Drive economic development and growth in all four corners of our community.
Protect major investments like our riverfront and infrastructure.
Continue telling Columbia’s story proudly, because our city is growing, thriving, and attracting national attention like never before.
Campaign Phone
8036295643
Campaign Email
jessicasthomas@colacitysmayor2026.com
It wasn’t one big lightning strike; it was the build-up of seeing my neighbors struggle while leaders looked the other way. Too often, young people I talk to tell me that they believe politics don’t matter, that their voices don’t count, that the system is too broken to fix. I want Gen Z, and really everyone in this city, to know that it is okay to have hope. We will fight for our future together. Running for mayor is my way of saying: we don’t have to accept things as they are. We have the power to rewrite what’s possible right here at home. Columbia should be an inclusive, welcoming, safe haven for people from all walks of life, people from any race, whether you are an immigrant, LGBTQIA+, straight, new here, or a lifelong resident.
Columbians shoulder a heavier burden, spending more of our paychecks just to keep a roof overhead. That’s not sustainable. My approach is twofold: support small businesses and attract higher-paying industries so we grow wages, and invest in workforce training so Columbians can skill up and land those better jobs. At the same time, I will push for fair rent standards tied to income, expand affordable housing units, and strengthen tenant protections so families can stay rooted in the neighborhoods they call home.
Public safety means more than arrests. Real safety comes from stability. I believe we should focus on reducing gun crime, while also creating real opportunities for our youth. Imagine if, when Finlay Park reopens, we offered jobs to young people to help keep it clean and vibrant, teaching responsibility while putting money in their pockets. So they can earn money with dignity instead of turning to crime. I see housing-first programs paired with mental health care, workforce training, and addiction recovery, so people get stability, not just survival. If we build a Columbia where people have hope, opportunity, and a stake in their city, crime goes down and communities thrive.
I want Columbia to be a place where families thrive, not just survive. That means affordable childcare, support for small businesses, and ensuring seniors can age in dignity. I will prioritize clean water, flood-resistant infrastructure, and green investments that protect neighborhoods and save money. Just as important, I will invest in civic engagement, making City Hall open and transparent so that people feel a genuine sense of agency over their lives. I will also protect our right to home rule. When outside pressure threatened our values, like during the conversion therapy debate, I saw how essential it is for leaders to stand with the community. My promise is leadership that tells the truth, acts boldly, and returns power to the people.
