The race for District 1 Columbus City Council has gotten a little more crowded.
Two political newcomers — a Democrat and an independent — will challenge incumbent Republican Dascal Bunch, who narrowly won the Republican nomination for District 1 City Council on May 7.
On Tuesday, the Bartholomew County Democratic Party slated Jerone Wood, 30, to be the party’s candidate for District 1 in November.
A few weeks earlier, Michael Kinder, 28, successfully filed as an independent candidate for City Council District 1. On March 29, Kinder turned in a petition with 35 signatures to run as an independent, said Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps.
The county clerk’s office has verified the signatures, and Kinder has met all requirements to officially be on the ballot in November for District 1 City Council, Phelps said.
Kinder, a Cummins, Inc. engineer who serves on the Columbus Economic Development Commission, said he is running because he wants to serve the community.
“I have been getting more involved in the community,” Kinder said. “I’ve been attending city council for over two years. I want to be part of the decisions that drive Columbus forward.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
