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Landon Nichols announced his bid for the Ward 2 seat on the Selma City Council on Friday afternoon.

Nichols, a Selma native, worked as the Destination/Marketing Coordinator for the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce upon completing his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama in 2016.

While at the Chamber, Nichols led the redesign of the Chamber’s nationally-recognized 2017 Find it Local Guide.

Nichols now leads advocacy and governmental affairs efforts for Medical Advocacy and Outreach (MAO), a Montgomery-based nonprofit clinic that serves 28 counties, including Dallas County.

“I believe Selma’s future is bright,” said Nichols. “I believe in our collective capacity to learn, to love, and to grow. I believe that if we work together, we can ensure our neighborhoods are safe, we can invest in infrastructure to lay the foundation for future growth, we can walk together in harmony thanks to God’s healing grace, we can craft responsible budgets and we can build a community where every citizen is actively engaged and has their voice heard.”

Nichols stated his priority for the Selma City Council is a “focus on the fundamentals” adding that the city needs “ethical leaders willing to make tough decisions that maximize limited city revenues”.

“I am clear-eyed about the challenges we face as a community, and after much prayerful consideration, I feel called to offer myself for service. On August 25th, I humbly ask for your support,” said Nichols, “I can’t promise you that we will agree on every issue, but I am committed to listening and working alongside you with honesty, transparency, and accountability. Let’s go build a better Selma. Together.”

The Ward 2 seat of the Selma City Council is currently held by Selma City Councilwoman Susan Youngblood.

Youngblood told The Selma Times-Journal Monday afternoon that she would not seek reelection for the position she’s held for the past three terms this August.

“After serving for 12 years on the Selma City Council, I will be using the contacts, knowledge, and information that I’ve gained to help implement the development of Selma’s tourism, recreation and economy,” said Youngblood. “I look forward to working with the new Ward 2 Representative to help ensure a smooth transition.  I have  enjoyed serving in this capacity and look forward to serving Selma in a different way.  ”