Jessica On
the City

Columbia has grit, resilience, and so much untapped potential. However, too many of our neighbors are still being left behind. Too many of our young people believe they have to leave just to live well. And too many longtime residents fear they can’t afford to stay. When I look around, I see more and more people working double shifts, multiple jobs, and skipping meals so their children don’t have to. Just to break even. That ends now.  The goal is a just, equitable, and prosperous Columbia where we can all build wealth, keep it, and pass it on. 

As mayor, I will fight for three core Initiatives:

  1. Affordability and Wealth Mobility – so that working people can live, thrive, and plan for their futures right here in Columbia.

  2. Investment in People and Neighborhoods – because our greatest strength lies not in buildings, but in the people who fill them.

  3. Trustworthy, Transparent Leadership – leadership that listens first, tells the truth, and leads with heart.

Affordability and
Wealth Mobility

Let’s be real: between Charleston, Greenville, and us, we come in last for median household income at about $53,000. Our rents average $1,500 to $1,600. Meanwhile, in Greenville, incomes are around $63,000, and their rent isn’t much higher than ours. That means Columbians shoulder a heavier burden, spending more of our paychecks just to keep a roof overhead. That is unacceptable.

We don’t just need new housing; we need fair housing. We don’t just need jobs; we need jobs that build wealth. That means:

  • Establishing fair rent standards tied to income, so people aren’t bled dry by rising costs.

  • Keeping USC graduates and young talent here through housing-first initiatives paired with job pipelines, so Columbia becomes a permanent home, not just a stepping stone.

  • Supporting programs that not only provide roofs, but also wraparound services i.e. mental health care, workforce training, addiction recovery, because dignity means more than four walls.

Columbia should never be a place you have to leave to live well. It should be the city where families build wealth, where careers grow, and where every resident has a fair shot at prosperity.

Affordability

Standardized Rent & Housing Justice

Policy Goal: Establish city-wide rent stabilization standards and protections to keep housing affordable and predictable.

  • Explore legal pathways for implementing rent caps tied to inflation or local income levels.

  • Incentivize affordable housing development with community-first zoning and real penalties for price-gouging landlords.

  • Expand tenant protections, establish a Tenant Advocacy Office, and create transparent reporting on rental costs city-wide.

    2. Direct Financial Relief for Working People
    Policy Goal: Put more money in residents’ pockets by expanding economic access, and investing in wage growth.

    • Reform city fees, fines, and licensing structures that disproportionately hurt lower-income residents.

    • Support small local businesses with grants and zero-interest loans to grow jobs with dignity and livable wages.

Investment in People and Neighborhoods

Columbia has survived floods, recessions, and deep racial divides. Every time, we rebuilt. But resilience cannot be the whole plan. Resilience must be met with investment.

I intend to :

  • Expand community-based mental health services so families aren’t torn apart and emergency rooms aren’t the only response.

  • Make childcare affordable and accessible, so no parent has to choose between a paycheck and their child.

  • Ensure seniors live in dignity, with affordable housing, healthcare, and community centers that keep them connected.

  • Invest in youth opportunity—after-school programs, summer jobs, mentorship—so kids have pathways to possibility, not pipelines to prison.

And beyond people, let’s talk infrastructure. Columbia should lead as a green capital city, with energy-efficient public buildings, safe and sustainable transit, and flood-resistant design. Our infrastructure should save money, protect our neighborhoods, and prepare us for the future. Our city council pulled money from our old, outdated and indebted water and sewer funds in order to begin their new municipal center, despite the current issues with forever chemicals in our drinking water, dirty water problems in rosewood. 

We are not Charleston’s postcard. We are not Greenville’s polished Main Street. We are Columbia; diverse, layered, tough, and strong. From our Korean and Vietnamese small businesses, to our Latino and African immigrant families, to our Black and white working-class neighborhoods, we are who we are because every layer matters. And as your mayor, I will invest in that Columbia.

Trustworthy, Transparent Leadership

Columbia was chosen as the capital because it sits at the center of our state.

It has served as a connector. A meeting point. A safe place for all. But I question whether  City Hall has been crafting a Columbia that lives up to that initiative. We saw it when council caved on the conversion therapy resolution, bending to outside pressure instead of standing firm for dignity and freedom. That wasn’t just about one issue; it was about whether our leaders will put the people they serve above politics and lobbyists. I believe in home rule: that the people of Columbia, not politicians in distant offices, should decide what’s right for our city.

My promise to you is simple: I will not serve lobbyists. I will not serve elites. I will not serve national party machines. I will serve you. With honesty, transparency, and accountability. I will always listen first, tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and I will act boldly on your behalf.Because trust in government is not automatic; it is earned. And as your mayor, I will earn it every day.


I envision a Columbia where the little girl ringing up orders at her mom’s restaurant can grow up to run for mayor and win. 

A Columbia where the USC graduate builds a future here, instead of packing up for another city.

A Columbia where the 40-year Shandon resident doesn’t fear losing their home, and where every child in every zip code has a fair chance at success.

A Columbia that is affordable, invested, trustworthy, safe, and thriving.

We are a city with grit. A city with heart. And a city with more potential than any other capital in the South. But potential only becomes reality with leadership bold enough to fight for it.

On November 4th, I humbly ask for your vote.

My name is Jessica Thomas. And together, Columbia, let’s rewrite the possible.

Thank you.

At its heart, this race is about leadership.