Daniel Rickenmann | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 71st Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen K. Benjamin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1969or1970(age 54–55) Spartanburg,South Carolina,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Laura Rickenmann |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of South Carolina (BA) |
Daniel Rickenmann (born 1969/1970) [1] is an American businessman and politician,serving as the 71st Mayor of Columbia,South Carolina.
Born in Spartanburg,South Carolina,Rickenmann is the son of immigrants from Switzerland. He attended the University of South Carolina in 1987. [2]
After confirmation on February 2021 that incumbent Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin would not seek re-election, [3] Rickenmann announced his bid for the office. [4] Other candidates were At-Large Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine,attorney Sam Johnson,and former Columbia City Councilman Moe Baddourah. [5] On November 16,2021,Rickenmann won the runoff election against Isaac Devine with 52% to 48% of the vote. [6] He was sworn in as mayor of Columbia on January 4,2022. [7]
Rickenmann ranked Number 2 in the Post and Courier Columbia Power List 2023 [8] and 2024. [9]
While candidates for the office of mayor in Columbia,South Carolina are officially non-partisan,Rickenmann is a Republican. Conversely,his opponent in the 2021 election,Tameika Isaac Devine,is a Democrat. Devine was endorsed by former U.S. president Barack Obama and House Whip Jim Clyburn. Previously,Columbia has historically voted for Democratic candidates,including Joe Biden for U.S. president by nearly 40 points. Its two previous mayors,Bob Coble and Steve Benjamin were Democrats. [10] [11] Some Republicans,including Ben Shapiro and United States Senator Rick Scott of Florida,cited Rickenmann's win as part of a "red wave." [12] [13]
In 2004,Rickenmann was elected as an At-Large representative for Columbia City Council. He held the position until 2013 when he chose not to run for reelection. He ran again for city council in 2017,winning the election as a representative from Columbia's fourth district. [14]
In June 2023,Rickenmann endorsed Tim Scott in the 2024 United States presidential election. [15] [16]
| Runoff election for Mayor of Columbia,2021 [a] [17] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Daniel Rickenmann | 10,606 | 52 | |
| Tameika Isaac Devine | 9,789 | 48 | |
| Total | 20,395 | 100% | |
| Election for Mayor of Columbia,2021 [18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Daniel Rickenmann | 8,417 | 43.51 | |
| Tameika Isaac Devine | 5,846 | 30.22 | |
| Sam Johnson | 4,710 | 24.35 | |
| Moe Baddourah | 364 | 1.88 | |
| Write-in | 9 | 0.05 | |
| Total | 19,346 | 100% | |
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