McDavid elected as new Columbia mayor

The mayor-elect beat five other candidates with 54 percent of the vote.

By Matthew Patane and Will Guldin

Published April 9, 2010

After securing 54 percent of the vote, retired physician Bob McDavid won a convincing victory in Columbia's mayoral election Tuesday night, beating five other candidates.

"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.

McDavid received about $56,000 during the election's course, according to numbers filed March 29, and several groups endorsed him, including the Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Professional Fire Fighters and the Columbia Police Officers' Association.

McDavid will replace outgoing Mayor Darwin Hindman, who is retiring after 15 years of service.

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

On election night, McDavid, an MU graduate, held a watch party at Shiloh Bar and Grill to watch poll numbers come in and celebrate the campaign. A smiling McDavid chatted with people in the bar, and his supporters rejoiced as his lead grew throughout the night.

Across Columbia, outgoing Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade's party at the House of Chow took on a quieter atmosphere. After all the results were in, Wade lost by 4,748 votes.

In a concession speech, he thanked all his supporters. Later, Wade said the candidates for the council races who garnered the most votes were those who were able to raise the most money.

"The votes are in pretty direct proportion to the amount of money spent," he said. "That, to me, says something."

Candidate Sid Sullivan was with his supporters at Broadway Brewery when the results came in. He said he was disappointed by his 12 percent vote tally and attributed it to a lack of resources.

"I basically had a message and concentrated on a message," Sullivan said. "We didn't have the biggest sign, we got our signs out and got some name recognition."

With McDavid's victory, Wade said Columbia is deeply politically divided.

"I think it means that we have a different set of dynamics on the council," he said. "I think that we have a community that is highly divided and fragmented. I do not see anything in this election that carries much hope of bringing the community together."

As the night came to a close, McDavid said he was relieved the campaign was over and humbled voters had chosen him for mayor.

"I felt pretty calm coming into 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."

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

"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, about 18,300 Columbia residents cast ballots in the mayoral election.

Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren said more students voted in the election, a result she had expected due to the mayoral race and Proposition 1. That initiative, which will allow the Columbia Police Department chief to place security cameras downtown, passed.

"We did have more, especially in the Sixth Ward," she said of student voters. "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."

— Pierce Courchaine and Wes Duplantier, of The Maneater staff, contributed to this report.