Columbia School Board member David Seamon announced his intention to run for mayor of Columbia on Thursday morning.
If elected, Seamon would be Columbia's first Black mayor, according to a news release posted to his website.
Mayor Brian Treece announced he would not run again Sept. 17. As someone who's always been interested in city government, Seamon said he saw the opening as "an opportunity to give something back to the entire community and not just the school district."
According to the release, Seamon would "ensure the city continues its leadership as a welcoming and innovative community." He is also focused on affordable cost of living and "reimagining" public safety.
Seamon supports community policing guidelines set out in the 2014 Mayor's Task Force on Community Violence Recommendations. He also hopes to address racial disparities in traffic stops.
For Seamon, reimagining public safety means balancing a need for police, without police being the first to respond to every situation. For example, mental health professionals would respond to certain calls instead.
Seamon voiced support for a permanent homeless shelter run by the city. "If you go down Providence and Nifong, there are three or four folks standing right outside on the corner," Seamon said. "We need to find a way to actually take care of our neighbors who are unhoused."
"It's almost impossible to even find a job without having a physical address, so getting that address opens the opportunity," Seamon said.
On a broader scale, he said the city's development should be based on "better wages, better benefits," and approach climate change as an ongoing issue rather than an incoming problem.
Seamon was elected to the school board in June 2020, and his term expires in April 2023. He has lived in Columbia since 2003 and graduated from Rock Bridge High School and Columbia College. He is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
At age 17, Seamon lost his father and became a teen father. He said he entered public service with the School Board to give back to the community that "placed its arms around me and carried me forward to the person I am today."
"David's quiet and steady leadership with an emphasis on equity is exactly what Columbia needs right now," disability activist Jacque Sample said in the release.
Sample, who sits on three city commissions and endorsed Seamon as an individual, appreciates his interest in utilizing commissions as resources of the city and listening to "the input that is received from the hundreds of volunteers that the city has who are pouring their hearts into these commissions."
Seamon's time on the School Board has given him an understanding of the role of the mayor and Columbia City Council as well as the demands of the job, he said. He likened the School Board's change in leadership to the transition the city government will make when a new city manager begins after John Glascock retires in January.
Seamon is in the process of collecting signatures to enter the mayoral race. Official filings for candidacy will open Dec. 7.
