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For the first time since 1992 Azar has decided to sit this one out.

By Todd Morehead

During election years in Columbia, some things are a certainty in the months between January and April: the sky is blue, the grass is green, gravity keeps it all in place and Joe Azar runs for city council. But, for the first time since 1992 Azar has decided to sit this one out and has instead fully endorsed Cameron Runyan in his run for incumbent Daniel Rickenmann’s at-large seat.

“I trust his integrity and his heart,” Azar told City Paper by phone on Monday. “I trust him to do what he feels is right regardless of any gain or loss to him. And I always said that if I found someone that I could really trust and respect, I would be happy to step back and endorse them and work hard for them.”

“Joe is a wonderful person,” Runyan told City Paper. “Now, stylistically we’re different. But philosophically we’re similar on many issues. And I’m proud that he’s supporting me.”

Runyan has also garnered key endorsements from former Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, Sen. Phil Leventis, Rep. Bakari Sellers and other political heavyweights.

So far, the bulk of media attention has focused on the race for Anne Sinclair’s District 3 seat, the main talking points being the real estate development camp versus the neighborhood conservation and revitalization camp. But, the race for Rickenmann’s at-large seat promises to go down to the wire and is one that will bring other key issues to light. Among other things, Runyan says he wants to focus on public safety, what he believes is a crumbling city infrastructure and creating an environment more conducive to “green” living. So far, he says, city council has fallen short of its basic obligation to keep its citizens safe; his own sister was robbed at gunpoint in Five Points back in the fall.

“I worry that Columbia has become a dangerous city to live in,” he says. “And there’s a reason why people at city hall think all is rosy with the police department: it’s because they’re not out talking with the rank-and-file boots on the ground. When you get out and talk to folks you realize pretty quickly that police officers are overworked and there are bad inefficiencies in the department. The system is broken.”

“I’ve been to some of these struggling neighborhoods,” Runyan says, “and none of these people have ever seen my opponent. They said in four years not once has he walked into these places. I don’t know if it’s because he thinks its dangerous or what. But if you talk to these people you see that they are hurting. They’ve been left behind. Their neighborhood is deteriorating, it’s spawning crime and it’s spilling out into the rest of the city. You can’t contain that. You’ve got to go in there and start to rehabilitate the community. You just can’t govern from an ivory tower.”

While Runyan rolls up his sleeves and prepares for battle, back in Five Points, Joe Azar is happy to be focusing on Upstairs Audio, the small business he says has always played second fiddle to his civic aspirations and duties. He says he also wants to spend more time with his mother, now in her nineties and basically, according to his recent newsletter, have some “Joe time.”

“When you run for public office, you’re always in the spotlight, people are always looking at you and sometimes you can’t be a human being,” he says. “If you jump up and dance with everybody at a night club because the music is great, people always wonder ‘What’s he doing?’ You always have to fit an image and it can keep you from living life.” Plus, he says running for office effects candidates physically. “You get fat. You get tired. You get old. You take a lot of abuse. But,” he says, “you also meet a lot of wonderful people who care about the community. It’s both a wonderful thing and a difficult thing. It’s easier to run 100 miles on foot than it is to run for office.”

Will he ever run again? He certainly hasn’t ruled it out. For now, though, he just hopes his candidacies have, at the very least, inspired other people to run. And for now, he feels like he’s doing his part by supporting the candidate he feels is the best man for the job.

“There’s more strength in cooperation,” he says. “It’s not about ego, it’s about what we can do to make the community better. And I’d rather support someone who can do that.”

“I’m gonna miss the debate I can tell you that,” he laughs. “But I feel good about Cameron and I support him 105 percent.”