Elections in Midlands towns shape leadership outcomes

The articles on Midlands election outcomes all focus on various regional elections taking place in towns and cities throughout the Midlands area. Common themes include council races, mayoral elections, and runoffs due to closely contested races.

One article details a tight race in the SC House District 21 where candidates are separated by less than 1%, leading to an automatic recount. Another focuses on the GOP runoff for a seat in House District 88, discussing the dynamics between different political caucuses. Meanwhile, an article highlights Chapin choosing a new mayor after the previous incumbent's passing, with Bill Mitchell winning substantially. A unique situation is in Gilbert, where no candidates officially ran for town council seats, prompting write-in votes. The election commission works to identify the winners willing to serve. These cases reflect the diverse electoral processes and outcomes across the Midlands region.

Town Hall in Chapin, South Carolina, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. By Joshua Boucher

NO. 1: CHAPIN DECIDES ON NEW MAYOR IN WAKE OF AL KOON’S DEATH

In the wake of the incumbent’s death in the middle of the campaign, Chapin voters chose a new mayor to lead them for the next four years. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

Candidates for Irmo Town Council in the 2025 election. Top row, left to right: Benjamin Battiste, George Frazier, Gabriel Penfield. Bottom, left to right: Adam Raynor, Barb Waldman. Not pictured is candidate Brandon Mundy

NO. 2: IRMO VOTERS OPT FOR FAMILIAR FACES ON TOWN COUNCIL. HERE’S WHO THEY PICKED

Voters in Irmo opted for continuity in a crowded municipal election Tuesday. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

NO. 3: BATESBURG-LEESVILLE MAYOR’S RACE LOOKS TO BE HEADED TO A RUNOFF

Voters in Batesburg-Leesville were choosing Tuesday between four candidates for mayor to succeed outgoing Mayor Lancer Shull. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

Doris Simmons and Jerome Williams, two members of Swansea Town Council, are both running for mayor in November.

NO. 4: NEW MAYOR CHOSEN IN TIGHT RACE IN SWANSEA. ONE TOWN COUNCIL SEAT EVEN CLOSER

At a troubled period in the town’s history, Swansea voters elected a new mayor Tuesday. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

NO. 5: HERE’S WHO GOP VOTERS IN LEXINGTON COUNTY PICKED TO RUN TO REPLACE RJ MAY

John Lastinger will be the Republican nominee to finish former state Rep. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Bustos

Daniel Rickenmann speaks after being sworn in as the mayor for Columbia during an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. By Tracy Glantz

NO. 6: COLUMBIA MAYOR DANIEL RICKENMANN WINS SECOND TERM LEADING THE CITY

Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann will get another four years leading South Carolina’s capital city. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Morgan Hughes

Candidates for an at-large Columbia City Council seat, Councilwoman Aditi Bussells and Sam Johnson.

NO. 7: CITYWIDE COLUMBIA COUNCIL RACE TOO CLOSE TO CALL – WILL GO TO RUNOFF

The race for a citywide Columbia council seat will go to a runoff election after no candidate for the office received more than 50% of the votes in the Nov. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Morgan Hughes

City Councilwoman Tina Herbert argued against repealing the conversion therapy ban during a meeting of the Columbia City Council on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. By Tracy Glantz

NO. 8: TINA HERBERT WINS RE-ELECTION IN COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL RACE

Tina Herbert will get another four years representing Columbia’s northwestern district, District 1. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Morgan Hughes

Candidates Peter Brown and Julie Lumpkin will go to a runoff election for Columbia City Council District 4.

NO. 9: COLUMBIA COUNCIL SEAT FOR NORTHEAST DISTRICT COULD GO TO RUNOFF

Incumbent council member Peter Brown and challenger Julie Lumpkin could face off in a runoff election for the Columbia City Council district 4 seat, after neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote Tuesday night. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Morgan Hughes

Voting stickers at Hand Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. By Tracy Glantz

NO. 10: NARROW MARGIN IN SC HOUSE DISTRICT 21 RACE. DISTRICT 98 GOP RACE HEADS TO RUNOFF

The Upstate House District 21 race remains close with all precincts reporting in the GOP runoff to replace state Rep. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Bustos

Candidates for Cayce city council pictured from left to right: Hunter Sox, Alice Rose, Tiffany Aull and Ron Wright.

NO. 11: ELECTION RESULTS IN CAYCE. HERE’S WHO WON SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL.

With two city council seats up for grabs in Cayce, voters chose two new faces to represent District 1 and District 3 on Tuesday. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Hannah Wade

Candidates in the Lexington town council race. From left to right: Ron Williams, Greg Brewer, Doug Leonard, Gavin Smith and Todd Carnes.

NO. 12: ELECTIONS RESULTS IN LEXINGTON. HERE’S WHO WON AT-LARGE SEATS ON COUNCIL.

With all precincts in the town of Lexington reporting, three incumbents have been elected to their at-large seats, unofficial results showed. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Hannah Wade

West Columbia as seen from the Gervais Street Bridge. By Tracy Glantz

NO. 13: ELECTION RESULTS IN WEST COLUMBIA. HERE’S WHO WON SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL.

Voters selected one new council member for the city of West Columbia after longtime council member and Mayor Pro-Tem Mickey Pringle chose not to seek re-election. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Hannah Wade

A special sticker for the Municipal Election was handed out to voters who cast their ballots at Hand Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. By Tracy Glantz

NO. 14: WHY DID NO CANDIDATES WIN IN THESE LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC RACES?

At least two races in Lexington County were potentially headed for a runoff after municipal elections on Tuesday. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

Gilbert is in the process of renovating the old bank building across the street from Town Hall. Aug. 28, 2024 By Jordan Lawrence

NO. 15: WHO WINS ELECTION IN MIDLANDS TOWN WHERE NOBODY RAN?

One Midlands town is still unsure who will take two seats on its town council after Tuesday’s local elections because no candidates filed to run. | Published November 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bristow Marchant

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.