A contentious race for one of Columbia’s at-large city council seats is headed for a runoff election after both candidates failed to get more than 50% of the vote. 

Sam Johnson is challenging first-term incumbent Aditi Bussells, a management consultant with a public health background. Johnson, once the chief of staff for former Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, led by 4 percentage points by the end of Tuesday night in the four-candidate race. 

The election for District Four also resulted in a runoff. Incumbent Peter Brown received more than 46% of the vote in a three-way race for the seat. But challenger Julie Lumpkin got almost 30% and will face Brown again in two weeks.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and District One Councilwoman Tina Herbet won their bids for reelection on Tuesday.

Runoff elections will take place on Nov. 18.

The candidates’ top issues 

Columbia native Johnson is no stranger to the issues the city faces. Johnson said he’s determined to tackle public safety concerns, housing accessibility and the redevelopment of downtown through the Bull Street, Five Points and Main Street areas. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021, when Rickenmann was first elected.

The reimagination of downtown has been a major part of Johnson’s campaign, but both candidates have put in work toward the revitalization efforts. The renovation of Finlay Park is a key symbol of Bussells’ achievements, she said. The park is set to reopen Nov. 15.

“This morning, I was putting out my own yard signs and got to see the fountain for the first time in over a decade,” Bussells said. “And if that isn’t symbolic of what this campaign has been about and who I am, this new energy that is getting things done, I don’t know what else I could say.”

Finlay Park’s iconic status is not lost on Johnson, who believes the park could be a great opportunity for Columbia if invested in. Monetary investments aren’t the only issues the park has: Unhoused members of the community that have found a safe haven in Finlay Park for years will need somewhere to go. 

Bussells and Johnson each have made addressing homelessness a key component of their campaigns. Bussells said she has been working to address homelessness since she spearheaded the Rapid Shelter Columbia project in 2022 that provides individual shelters in pallet-built housing.

Trevor Woodlief, a family friend and supporter of Bussells, agrees that her work on homelessness is her greatest achievement.

“I have met Sam before, and Sam is a good person,” Woodlief said. “He has a good agenda. He has good things going for him. But Sam hasn’t been elected … for a reason.”

Johnson, CEO of Civint, a national government relations firm, thinks the solution to homelessness is multifaceted. He would want to employ a mix of transitional housing, mental health care and job training. 

The City Council hopefuls have found community support in different ways.

The main advantage the councilwoman has is her experience in office, Woodlief said.

When Bussells voted against the repeal of a Columbia ordinance banning conversion therapy in summer 2025 she gained the support of many in the LGBTQ+ community. 

“As a child of (Indian) immigrants, as a woman of color moving to the South, it was hard to find my place,” Bussells said election night. “That didn’t mean that people weren’t welcoming, but often times, you can feel like you don’t belong. And that’s where I think I really resonate with the LGBT community here.”

Johnson has had the continuing endorsement SC Pride President Dylan Gunnells since his 2021 mayoral run. 

His focus on revitalizing downtown Columbia has garnered Johnson support from local businesses and prominent city leaders. Johnson’s efforts to revive downtown started when he championed the Bull Street redevelopment during his time serving under Benjamin. 

Kit Smith, a former president of the Wales Garden Neighborhood Association, posted an open letter of support for Johnson on Facebook with a number of signatures. The post criticized Bussells for a lack of responsiveness to neighborhood leaders.

“When (Johnson) worked for the city, he was always attentive and responsive, even when you are on a different side,” Smith told Carolina Reporter on Thursday.

Protecting neighborhoods from short-term rentals is an important issue to Smith, she said. Johnson would maintain open communication with neighborhood leaders as the city prepares to look at a zoning ordinance that would limit those rentals to commercial areas, she said.

What’s to come 

Though the runoff came as a disappointment for many, the energy at Bussells’ and Johnson’s watch parties didn’t wane. 

After the election was called, Benjamin and Johnson were cheered on by guests as they encouraged their supporters to keep pushing through to Nov. 18. 

“We got work to do,” Johnson said. “Over the next two weeks, our message has to resound even harder. We’ve got to make sure that we’re reaching more people, that everyone in Columbia has their voice heard.” 

Johnson’s approach to addressing the issues affecting Columbia centers on strong collaboration within the community and with community leaders, the private sector and nearby municipalities. 

“He has led an incredibly positive campaign, talking about a vision for Columbia that includes all of us,” Benjamin said to the crowd gathered. “He’s talking about each and every one of you and your families … and how we build a brighter future for our families here together.” 

Bussells ended her event with a speech thanking her supporters and staff, including strategists from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

“Tonight, I’m going to get some much needed rest,” Bussells said after learning of the runoff. “And then we get to work tomorrow.”