Style His Honor Inaugural holder Edward J. Arthur | Term length Four years Formation 17th century | |
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The mayor of Columbia, South Carolina is elected at large for a four-year term. The duties of the mayor is to create policy and enact laws, rules and regulations for the city of Columbia. Stephen K. Benjamin, who assumed office on July 2010 after a run-off election, is the current mayor of Columbia, and the first to be elected of African descent.
On November 5, 2013, Benjamin received 64% of the total vote, allowing him to remain mayor for four more years.
Current Mayor of Columbia
Steve Benjamin, the current mayor of Columbia, won in a run-off election after mayor Bob Coble stepped down. Benjamin's parents are from Orangeburg, SC but he was born in Queens, New York during the 1960s when many African-Americans decided to relocate to the North for better economic opportunities. Benjamin spent his childhood growing up in New York City where his parents, Sam and Maggie Benjamin, worked numerous jobs to support Steve and his elder brother Samuel. After a stable adolescence in New York, Benjamin relocated back to Columbia where he was admitted into the University of South Carolina to study Political Science.
During his studies, Benjamin became active in many student organizations that influenced his career path. He was actively involved in the student chapter of NAACP, eventually becoming president. Benjamin was also elected as student body president during his undergraduate career and went on to become president of the University of South Carolina School of Law student bar association during his third year. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.