In a close race, incumbent Hilliard City Council members Tina Cottone and Andy Teater, plus Kathy Parker-Jones and Nadia Rasul are advancing as the Democratic candidates for Hilliard City Council in the November general election.
Unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections show the following vote totals:
- Tina Cottone: 1,932 (17%)
- Kathy Parker-Jones: 1,870 (17%)
- Andy Teater: 1,776 (15%)
- Nadia Rasul; 1,687 (14%)
- Dorothy Hassan 1,587 (14%)
- Tony Moog 1,492 (13%)
- Samer Bazerbashi 1,356 (12%)
Bazerbashi, Hassan and Rasul are Muslims. Hassan believes she was the first Black Muslim woman to seek a seat on Hilliard City Council.
It's a change for a city that has been historically conservative, but has become more diverse and more Democratic.
"The whole primary was kind of a last-minute surprise," Cottone said of the crowded field. "We all got the people that we know to come out and vote in equal measure."
Cottone is finishing up her first four-year term, while Teater has been on city council for 12 years.
Rasul said she was happy with the vote.
"I've been serving Hilliard for 36 years. This is nothing new. It's amazing to be able to serve Hilliard in this capacity," said Rasul, a pharmacist who has lived in Hilliard since 1989.
Hilliard is one of Columbus' fastest-growing suburbs and development was a key topic.
Hilliard released an updated community plan in 2023 that called for denser development in the city, including in Old Hilliard and along Cemetery Road.
Democrats in general favor the plan.
Another big issue was the dispute between the Noor Islamic Cultural Center and the city after Hilliard City Council denied a zoning change for Noor.
Noor bought the former BMW Financial Services Building at 5550 Britton Parkway to convert the facility into a community center that would have included a prayer space and a school, along with other amenities.
Noor is now suing.