Columbia mayor Barbara Buffaloe will face two challengers in April’s municipal election.
Mayor Buffaloe will face journalism professor Tanya Heath and businessman Blair “Murph” Murphy, who owns Johnson Paint and Decorating. Filing ended this week. Mayor Buffaloe is seeking her second term. She beat businessman Randy Minchew by about 800 votes in 2022.
Columbia third ward council member Roy Lovelady is not seeking a second term in April. He’ll be replaced by Jacque Sample, who chairs the city’s disability commission. Sample ran unsuccessfully for the Missouri House in 2020 and advocates for equity, accessibility and inclusion.
And Fourth Ward councilman Nick Foster is being challenged by Ron Graves, who works as the chief of the center for Development and Civic Engagement with Columbia’s Truman VA hospital. Mr. Graves says he would focus on public safety and infrastructure, if elected.
Councilman Foster, who was first elected in 2022, is seeking his second term.
