by Wayne Washington
The State
August 5, 2009
Attorney Stephen K. Benjamin told The State on Tuesday he is running for mayor of Columbia, ending months of speculation about whether he would enter the race.
If successful, the 39-year-old Benjamin would be the first black mayor in the city’s history.
“I’ve been given some incredible opportunities to get involved in making this city better,” Benjamin said. “I want to take a more central role in making that happen. I want to try to help provide some vision, some leadership, and also help restore some sense of accountability.
Benjamin, a partner in the law firm McAngus Goudelock & Courie, served as chief executive of the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services during the administration of former Gov. Jim Hodges. He won the Democratic Party’s nomination in his ultimately unsuccessful run for state attorney general in 2002.
In that losing effort, Benjamin raised more than $1 million and ran what was seen as a credible effort, given this state’s racial history and its recent preference for Republican officeholders.
...Benjamin, who has served on various government and business boards, has backed the mayor in previous elections. But during a meeting in November, Benjamin said he told Coble he wanted to run for mayor.
...Another possible candidate for mayor, City Councilman Kirkman Finley III, said Benjamin’s decision to run will “make it an interesting race.”
“I think competition is always a good thing in politics,” he said. “It’ll make us a better city.”
Benjamin has some strengths in his quest for mayor, technically a part-time position that pays $17,500 per year.
He is a known political entity with strong connections to the business community. And he has a proven track record in fundraising.
...Benjamin wants to focus on what he said is needed most:
• Economic development and job creation
• Improving public safety and the city’s finances
• Getting residents more involved in city government
...
“You don’t have to have a strong mayor form of government to have a strong mayor,” he said.
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