Former State Rep. Chris Kelly “seriously considering” running for Columbia mayor
Former State Representative Chris Kelly is seriously considering running for Columbia Mayor.
Kelly served as Boone County Clerk, State Representative, Associate Judge for Boone County, and as a commissioner for the state’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
“It is accurate to say I’m thinking about a run for mayor,” Kelly told ABC 17 News Saturday.
Kelly said he is asking around to see what others would think of his candidacy.
He said there are some things that need to be done to restore credibility Columbia’s city government, including the city’s infrastructure, which is what he is most concerned about right now.
He called it a vital interest and something that’s always concerned him.
Kelly was the appropriations committee chair in the legislature at one time. That committee gave money for infrastructure projects around the state.
He also served a stint as the chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Infrastructure, but stepped down when Mayor Brian Treece was elected.
Kelly said Columbia has done a better job than some cities with infrastructure but there are projects that can’t be put off because they will become more expensive to fix.
He said he has been fighting for bridges and roads for as long as he can remember.
Kelly does not have a campaign committee and has not officially announced anything. He’s weighing the run against a life spent in public service and whether he should get back in because he still says he has the desire to be helpful.
Editor’s note: Title was previously “Former State Sen. and Rep. Chris Kelly “seriously considering” running for Columbia mayor.” ABC 17 News has corrected this article to reflect that Kelly was only a state representative not a state senator.
