19 people have applied to fill a soon-to-be vacant seat on Columbus City Council. Among them is assistant city attorney Jaiza Page, who sources tell WCBE was asked to apply for the seat being vacated by Hearcel Craig. She is one of the nine people in the group who did not apply to succeed former council member Troy Miller earlier this year. Shannon Hardin was the choice of Mayor Michael Coleman to fill that seat. Hardin is a former Coleman staffer. Council released the names of all of the latest applicants in an e-mail to reporters:
1. David T. Donofrio
2. Cheryl A. Penn
3. William Leibensperger
4. Rory Krupp
5. Paul D. Saltz 6. Ibrahima Sow
7. Georgina M. Ginn 8. Daniel L. Moss 9. Stefanie Lynn Coe 10. John W. Thurman Jr.
11. Marian Harris 12. Brandyn McElroy 13. James C. Ragland 14. Elizabeth C. Brown
15. Ramona R. Reyes 16. Emmanuel V. Remy 17. Catherine A. Girves 18. Jaiza N. Page
19. Marquise L. Lovejoy
Interviews will be conducted through December 19, with interviews of the finalists to be conducted in early January. The winner will be announced in a formal vote on January 12. It will continue the long-standing practice of appointing council members to fill the remainder of the term of a vacant seat, thus giving the appointee the advantages of incumbency when she/he must go before the voters for re-election. It is a major reason why there are no Republicans holding any of the seven council seats.