Morrison could jump into mayoral race

Per Saturday’s The State, Columbia attorney Steve Morrison is eying a run for mayor, joining the current four-person race, including the heavyweights — attorney Steve Benjamin and City Councilman Kirkman Finlay III. Morrison is a partner in the influential firm of Nelson Mullins.

From the way it looks, if Morrison gets into the race, it wouldn’t be good for Benjamin. According to the story, Morrison is involved with the “minimally-adequate” school funding suit, the Urban League, the Columbia Museum of Art, Historic Columbia, the NAACP, the Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, and on. That pretty much cuts directly into the civic-minded Democratic voting base in the city, which it looked like Benjamin was going to ride to a significant win.

Though Finlay basically gave a throwaway quote, it can only mean good things for him if Benjamin and Morrison have to go toe-to-toe over the same voters and the same contributors, not to mention the endorsement battle for community leaders. Benjamin has the upper hand, it appears to us, because of recognition for his earlier work and his 2002 campaign for attorney general, but the race would become much tougher if Morrison threw his hat in the ring.