Cayce commissioner resigns after racist remarks on Columbia mayor race, official says
A Cayce museum commissioner who made racist statements about Columbia’s mayoral election has resigned, according to a Cayce City Council member.
Cayce Councilman Hunter Sox said that Marion Hutson, a public appointee for the Cayce Historical Museum, will resign immediately Friday.
“He has informed me that he will resign from the commission immediately as this has brought divisive attention to Cayce,” Sox said in a statement.
Cayce’s spokesperson confirmed Hutson’s resignation.
“Moments ago, a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Cayce Museum and Historical Commission was dropped off at Cayce City Hall,” spokesperson Ashley Hunter said in an email. “This letter, signed by Mr. Marion Hutson, a Council-appointed volunteer, states that he is voluntarily resigning from the Cayce Museum and Historical Commission effective immediately.”
In the letter sent to the museum chair, Hutson wrote that “seeing the community and the nation divided as a whole, I prefer to see the community be united as one. Therefore, I am voluntarily resigning my position. ... I will continue to pray that the betterment of the community prevails.”
Hutson said in the letter that he had been a museum commissioner for more than 20 years.
The State first reported on Hutson remarks, which he has not denied, on Wednesday. Hutson could not be reached on Friday. The Post and Courier reported first on Hutson’s resignation.
While at a polling place on Nov. 2, Hutson said to a Cayce staffer that Columbia “did not need another colored person as mayor,” according to an email from the staffer sent to council members and read at a Nov. 9 meeting.
“(Hutson) stated that there were three colored people, and that one was an Arab, running for the mayor. (Hutson) then stated that in the past more than one white person had run for the mayor which split the vote causing Mayor Benjamin to win,” the email said.
Steve Benjamin, who is Black, did not run for reelection as Columbia mayor this year. He has served three terms.
In the Nov. 2 election, Daniel Rickenmann, who is white, finished first and Tameika Isaac Devine, who is Black, finished second. Both are Columbia City Council members. They advanced to Tuesday’s runoff.
Rickenmann and Devine defeated Sam Johnson, a former Benjamin assistance, and Moe Baddourah. Johnson is Black and Baddourah is a native of Lebanon.
In a 3 to 2 vote Tuesday, the Cayce council allowed Hutson to keep his position on the museum commission. The vote to remove Hutson was called for by councilman James Jenkins and supported by Mayor Elise Partin, who spoke out against Hutson’s words. Council members Phil Carter, Tim James and Sox voted to let Hutson keep his position. With their votes to keep Hutson, Sox and James decried Hutson’s remarks and called for an investigation.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 4:33 PM.