4 takeaways from the SC Midlands elections last night
It was a long night of elections in the Midlands Tuesday and for some, it’s still not over.
On a night where some local elections in the U.S. — like the New York City mayoral race — made big national news, races in the Midlands moved along without much in the way of controversy or fanfare.
There was a mix of new and familiar faces elected across the Midlands on Tuesday. But there are still a few seats up for grabs and candidates who will duke it out in upcoming runoffs.
Note that even for candidates declared the winner in their elections, results are still unofficial until they are certified, which usually happens on Friday following Election Day.
Here are four takeaways from elections in the Midlands on Tuesday.
Columbia mayor handily wins 2nd term
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann won a second term Tuesday evening with more than 61% of the vote. He defeated challengers Jessica Thomas and Wade Fulmer. Thomas earned about 32% of the vote, while Fulmer got about 5% respectfully.
Rickenmann’s reelection adds to his already long-time career in city politics. Before becoming mayor, Rickenmann served 14 years as a member of the city council.
The mayor wants to make the city more attractive for small businesses by “cutting red tape,” re-imagine the city’s approach to homelessness, prioritize a more densely populated downtown and work on attracting new visitors.
Lexington County has new GOP state House candidate
Lexington County voters chose John Lastinger as the Republican nominee to finish former state Rep. RJ May’s term in the state House.
Lastinger defeated Brian Duncan in Tuesday’s GOP runoff in House District 88 solely within Lexington County. Lastinger got 1,370 votes for 52.43% while Duncan had 1,243 votes for 47.57%.
Lastinger must still face Democratic nominee Joseph “Chuck” Hightower in a special election on Dec. 23.
May’s seat opened up when he resigned in August. He has since pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography.
Election runoffs
A citywide Columbia council seat was too close to call on Tuesday and will head to a runoff election.
Sam Johnson, who was once chief of staff to former Mayor Steve Benjamin, led the race with 47% of the vote. A candidate must get more than 50% of the vote to win an election.
Johnson will face incumbent Aditi Bussell in the runoff. Bussells got about 45% of the vote on Tuesday.
Bussells faced some controversy during the at-large election. Her critics have raised questions about her political ties, as she shares a campaign management team with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, but has received support from both high-profile Democrats and Republicans.
Meanwhile, Johnson has been questioned about whether he’ll be able to serve city council free of conflict while also running Civint, a firm that helps companies navigate municipal government.
District 4 seat
Incumbent council member Peter Brown and challenger Julie Lumpkin looked fated to face each other again in a runoff for the Columbia City Council District 4 seat after neither candidate got 50% of the vote Tuesday.
Brown got the most votes, winning just under 47% of the ballots cast. Lumpkin got just under 30% of the vote.
The Columbia district in question includes the area around Forest Acres and the northern portion of the Garners Ferry Road corridor. The district had a wide mix of incomes and a diverse population.
Batesburg-Leesville mayoral race
The mayoral race in Batesburg-Leesville is set for a runoff after none of the four candidates could win more than 50% of the vote.
Two town councilmen, David Bouknight and Steve Cain, were running for mayor against Larry McConnaughhay and Greg Moseley. Bouknight led in the results Tuesday, with 42% of the vote. He will face Cain, who finished with 29% of the vote, in the upcoming runoff.
Familiar faces
Irmo voters chose to keep incumbents in their municipal elections on Tuesday.
Gabriel Penfield and Barb Waldman both won reelection to second terms on the two open seats on the town council. Waldman led with 35% of the vote and Penfield had 26%, according to preliminary results. That would be enough to win the two at-large seats.
Four other candidates worked to replace Penfield and Waldman on the five-person council. Irmo’s mayor and two other town council seats won’t be up for re-election until 2027.
Columbia city council incumbent win
Tina Herbert won another four years representing Columbia’s northwestern district, District 1.
The worker’s compensation attorney and former head of Columbia’s community development department won convincingly with 62% of the vote. Herbert defeated challenger Christa Williams, who got about 36% of the vote.
Herbert’s campaign has focused on her pre-existing knowledge of city government. She has also touted her support for a mobile grocery market that serves the district and has pushed for future development opportunities for North Main Street.
Some of her plans include creating a grant program for small businesses wanting to update their building exteriors and storefronts.
This article was supplemented by reporting from Morgan Hughes, Joseph Bustos and Bristow Marchant.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 9:59 AM.
