Carla Clark | For The Republic Frank Miller, City Councilman District 4, and Jay Foyst look at the proposed map during the redistricting meeting held at City Hall in Columbus, Indiana, Monday, September 12, 2022.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — New candidates for the 2023 municipal election continue to emerge as the deadline to fill vacancies approaches.
Democrat Arthur “Dewayne” Fillmore II has withdrawn from the Columbus City Council District 5 race, and fellow Democrat Eric Riddle has filed to run for the seat.
Bartholomew County Democratic Party Chair Ross Thomas said that Fillmore withdrew due to “work and family obligations” that arose following the primary.
Additionally, Jay Foyst, 60, is seeking the Republican nomination for District 6, though he is not an official candidate yet. According to Bartholomew County Republican Party Chair Luann Welmer, a caucus is set for Saturday. As of Monday, Foyst was the only individual to file.
“We are thankful that this gentleman has come to us and is willing to work hard, to go door to door and meet people and secure this position,” said Welmer.
Foyst was previously a salesman for 25 years and is now a dump truck driver. When asked about his priorities, Foyst said that some of the issues he sees in Columbus are homelessness and traffic.
He said he was motivated to run because of the low turnout during the primary, as well as the fact that there was no Republican candidate for District 6.
“I’m like, ‘I can’t wait for someone to step up,’” he said. “‘It’s time for me to step up.’”
District 6 is a new district that was created due to the city’s decision to adopt second class status. It includes portions of central and north Columbus.
At present, the only official candidate running for the seat is Democrat Bryan Munoz, who was one of the last candidates to file before the initial February deadline.
As for the new District 5 candidate, Riddle works for an environmental advocacy nonprofit. If elected, his priorities would include NexusPark, environmental initiatives and the new Mental Health Matters coalition.
He added that he wants to ensure that the long-term plan for Columbus Regional Health’s 690-acre property on the west side of town includes affordable housing while also taking flood safety into account.
Riddle said that he and Fillmore had discussed the election while working on a United Way project together during the Day of Caring in May.
“He had expressed some concern that he might not be able to run in the fall,” said Riddle. “And so I started thinking about it at that time, and then I talked to him last week about him stepping down, and I thought, ‘This is a good opportunity to step up to the plate and serve the community from the capacity of an elected official.’”
Republican Kent Anderson is also vying for the District 5 seat. Incumbent Councilman Tim Shuffett is not seeking re-election.
For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.
