BOYER, RICKENMANN COMMIT POLITICAL SUICIDE HOURS APART

I’m not quite sure if I’ve ever written about the Columbia City Council. I’ve written about other city councils, but to my recollection, nothing about Columbia. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, although I’m usually not.

It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that… well, actually yes, I really don’t care. But today I do because, in the last week, the frontrunners for the two contested seats (only three of the six seats are on the ballot this year, and 25-year incumbent E.W. Cromartie didn’t draw a challenger) may have effectively sunk their campaigns with less than a month left in the election. And amazingly, they did so in completely unrelated ways.

In the third district race to replace outgoing Councilwoman Anne Sinclair, Brian Boyer had been the candidate to beat for months now. That is, until he and a friend allegedly beat the crap out of a house guest over the weekend.

Here’s what [John Hudgins Dietrich, the victim] said happened, according to the police report:

Dietrich and another man were at Boyer’s house on Monroe Street early Sunday morning. All three had been drinking throughout the night.

At about 3 a.m., Boyer and Dietrich got into an argument that turned physical when Boyer “hit the victim about his face with a closed fist causing the victim to fall to the ground.”

Boyer then held Dietrich down while the other man kicked him “about the right side of the head.”

Dietrich was able to free himself and leave the house while Boyer and the other man stayed inside.

Officer J. Long noted that Dietrich had “bruising and swelling around his right eye, nose and lip” two days after the incident. [The State]

Boyer has been in a very heated three-way race, and although he is probably the frontrunner, it isn’t by much. With this news — and a number of exaggerated rumors — spreading across Columbia like the plague, Boyer’s campaign is, in all likelihood, finished. And with a very possible SLED investigation looming, I would be surprised if he didn’t drop out soon.

Unlike Boyer, the frontrunner for the at-large seat is a first-term incumbent and he hasn’t punched anyone out recently; not that I know of, anyway. But like Boyer, Councilman Daniel Rickenmann may have done something that will cost him his seat.

In a very unwise political move, Rickenmann introduced legislation (which passed with flying rainbow colors) that makes Columbia only the third municipality in the South to have a separate set of anti-discrimination laws for gays and transgendereds. According to FITSNews, only Atlanta and New Orleans have enacted similar laws.

City Council voted unanimously to pass the ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing and public accommodations.

“We have passed one of the most comprehensive bills in the country, in one of the most conservative states in the country,” said C. Ray Drew, Executive Director of South Carolina Equality, which pressed for the laws. “South Carolina, and states like ours, represents the front lines of our battle for LGBT civil rights in this country.” [...]

“When we work together and respect each other, we can make Columbia an even better place to live,” Rickenmann and Isaac Devine said in a statement following the vote. [365gay.com]

Rickenmann reportedly went on to say, “I don’t care that I just imploded my campaign, because I’m surrounded by peace, love, happiness, that Coca-Cola commercial from the 70’s and little chirping bluebirds that whisper sweet somethings in my ear.”

Now, that’s all well and good, but if you look at the breakdown of the City of Columbia voters, it looks like Rickenmann just stepped on a major land mine. And considering he was elected largely by Republicans and church-going voters, he could be in a whole world of hurt. Kind of like if he were to go to a dinner party at Boyer’s house.