McDavid wins mayoral election

About 18,000 people voted, according to the Boone County Clerk's Office.

By Matthew Patane

Published April 7, 2010

Retired doctor Bob McDavid won Columbia’s mayoral election with a wave of applause and cheering from supporters at a local watch party. He defeated five other candidates with 54.2 percent of the vote.

“This has been the best three months of my life, and I’m accepting this as an obligation and a responsibility to the city,” McDavid said in a speech to his supporters.

The candidate and his supporters held a watch party at Shiloh Bar and Grill to see the poll numbers come in and to celebrate the campaign. A smiling McDavid chatted with people throughout the bar, and his supporters rejoiced each time new results came in which showed his lead grow throughout the night.

He said the campaign, his first, went smoothly and met his expectations.

“We worked hard, and we didn't have any big mistakes that you normally expect from these first efforts,” McDavid said. “There was a good team, and we stayed organized throughout the process.”

Incumbent Mayor Darwin Hindman, retiring after 15 years of service, offered support to his successor.

“I think Bob McDavid will be an excellent mayor, and I look forward to him leading,” Hindman said.

As the night went on, Second Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill attended part of the event.

“The two guys that were the frontrunners the whole time, in my opinion, were Jerry and McDavid, and frankly either one of them would have done a good job for us,” he said. “I’m happy that we got someone who is going to have the best interest for Columbia at the forefront.”

The Columbia Professional Fire Fighters endorsed McDavid for his stance on public safety and financial responsibility. They were happy with the result of the race, CPFF President Brad Fraizer said.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, and we were confident that Dr. McDavid would win and this is a validation of that,” Fraizer said. “He’s got a proven record of financial prudence, and he’s a strong proponent of public safety, and he’s got a good track record of leadership from the hospital.”

After the results came in, McDavid said he was relieved the campaign was over and humbled voters had chosen him for mayor.

“I felt pretty calm coming in to the night, because I felt we had done everything we could do,” he said. “It’s humbling that the voters heard the message and voted the way they did. It really puts some obligation and responsibility, and I plan to work hard and make sure I fulfill the trust that they have put in me.”

Thornhill said City Council might face some problems with three new members and McDavid's lack of formal government experience, but the council and McDavid should be able to overcome any obstacle.

“I think his biggest challenge will be getting up to speed on the budget which is the single toughest thing we do, but he’s a smart guy so he will probably pick it up sooner rather then later,” Thornhill said.

According to numbers from the Boone County Clerk’s Office, total turnout for the mayoral election was about 18,300 people. Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren said she expected higher turnout due to the mayoral race and Proposition 1, which passed and allows the Columbia Police Department chief to place security cameras downtown.

“I really thought we'd get 28,000 voters, but things kind of slowed down this weekend and yesterday,” she said.

Noren said more students voted in this municipal election.

“We did have more, especially in the Sixth Ward,” she said. “Generally, we don't have high turnout in the local elections unless there's a big issue, which is a shame, because they could have so much power.”