In winning each of their contested elections on April 4, Callie Carroll, Derek Lee and Brandon Jenson are set to be the newest faces to join Springfield City Council.
Carroll defeated Jeremy Dean in the race for General Seat C, Lee garnered more votes than opponent Bruce Adib-Yazdi for General Seat D, and Jenson came out on top in Zone 3 against David Nokes.
General Seat Council members Richard Ollis and Andrew Lear, along with Zone 3 Councilman Mike Schilling, opted not to seek reelection, creating chances for three new members to serve on the Springfield City Council after the April 4 election.
There were no challenges in two races where incumbents petitioned and filed to run for election. Zone 1 Councilwoman Monica Horton was appointed to fill a vacancy representing northwest Springfield in 2022. She will serve out the remainder of a four-year term, and is due to come up for election again in April 2025.
In Zone 2, or northeast Springfield, attorney Abe McGull ran unopposed. McGull was first elected in 2019.
Carroll defeats Dean, is set to replace Andrew Lear
Callie Carroll is the vice president, business development and shareholder relations officer at Old Missouri Bank. She studied at Drury University and Missouri State University, where she got a Bachelor’s in broadcast journalism and a Master’s in professional studies. Prior to joining OMB in 2021, Carroll worked as a news anchor in multiple markets.
Carroll campaigned on reducing crime, ensuring neighborhoods feel heard while promoting new “smart” development and growth in the business community and building trust between the local government and the community through communication and transparency. Carroll received endorsements from the Springfield Police Officers Association and the Springfield Good Government Committee, among others.
| With 57 of 57 precincts reporting | Votes | Pct. | |
| ✔ | Callie Carroll | 9,851 | 55.27% |
| Jeremy Dean | 7,974 | 44.73% |
Jeremy Dean, a Springfield native, is an office coordinator for an OB/GYN clinic at CoxHealth. He studied business education and political science at the University of Central Missouri, but did not complete a degree there, and has previously worked on election campaigns.
Lee narrowly tops Adib-Yazdi for General Seat D, replacing Richard Ollis
Derek Lee, an Alabama native, is a civil engineer and has owned and operated Lee Engineering and Associates in Springfield for 23 years. He obtained a master’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University in 1994 and became a professional engineer in the state of Missouri in 1999.
Lee’s campaign prioritized removing red tape and rewriting codes to streamline processes for small business owners, encourage redevelopment to revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs and fully staffing the Springfield Police Department. Lee received endorsements from the Springfield Good Government Committee and the Springfield Police Officers Association, among others.
| With 57 of 57 precincts reporting | Votes | Pct. | |
| ✔ | Derek Lee | 9,600 | 52.08% |
| Bruce Adib-Yazdi | 8,832 | 47.92% |
Bruce Adib-Yazdi is an architect, the vice president of development for the Vecino Group, a real estate development company based in Springfield, and former partner for BRP Architects. Adib-Yazdi studied architecture at Louisiana State University and moved to Springfield in 1990.
In Zone 3, Jenson defeats Nokes, set to replace campaign treasurer on council
Brandon Jenson, a Springfield area native, helped the City of Willard write its comprehensive plan and interned for the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments. He currently serves as a program manager for the Community Development Block Grant program in the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Jenson has Bachelor’s degrees in both French and community and regional planning from Missouri State University.
Jenson campaigned on addressing housing affordability by expanding the range of types of homes and utilizing financial resources to support housing development, deploying creative strategies for long-term crime prevention and investing in the infrastructure of Springfield neighborhoods. Jenson was endorsed by the Springfield Central Labor Council and outgoing Zone 3 Councilman Mike Schilling, who served as Jenson’s campaign treasurer.
| With 16 of 16 precincts reporting | Votes | Pct. | |
| ✔ | Brandon Jenson | 1,900 | 53.84% |
| David Nokes | 1,629 | 46.16% |
David Nokes has spent much of his career in public safety, having worked as a Springfield police officer for 23 years, a probation and parole officer for the Department of Corrections for seven years and as police supervisor for the Springfield-Branson National Airport for five years. Nokes got his bachelor’s degree from Drury University, where he studied criminal justice, before eventually graduating from the FBI National Academy.
