Voters in Columbia have re-elected Mayor Barbara Buffaloe to a second term, as she wins a hotly-contested three-way race that was dominated by the issue of crime and public safety.
Final unofficial results show Mayor Buffaloe received 14,073 votes. Businessman Blair “Murph” Murphy received 10,663 votes, and journalism instructor Tanya Heath finishes a distant third with 779 votes.
Mayor Buffaloe’s campaign issued a mailer last week, which says the mayor is committed to Columbia’s public safety. The mailer says that Mayor Buffaloe will focus in her second term on opening the opportunity homeless campus, fully staffing the Columbia police department and addressing safety downtown, to make all residents feel welcome there.
Crime was the major issue that Mr. Murphy focused on. He was endorsed by the Columbia Police Officers Association (CPOA) and by Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey, one of the most popular politicians in the county. Murphy was also backed by Mizzou football coach El Drinkwitz. Murphy called for more police and patrols and less crime. Ms. Heath campaigned across the city door-to-door and focused a lot on public safety.
This was the most expensive mayoral race in Columbia history.
