Here’s who’s running for mayor, council in Lexington County’s cities and towns this fall
Filing closed at noon Friday for candidates for mayor or town council across Lexington County. Here’s who will be on voters’ ballots when they head to the polls in a couple months.
In Chapin, Town Councilman Al Koon is a candidate for mayor to replace outgoing Mayor David Knight. Koon is a retired SCE&G employee who is currently Chapin’s mayor pro tempore. Incumbent councilman Leland Teal is running for another term on town council, where he will be joined by former councilman Gregg White, who previously served from 2014 to 2018.
In Lexington, three incumbent members of the town council are running for re-election. Councilmen Todd Carnes, Steve Baker and Ron Williams will all be on the ballot in November, as will Lachin Hatemi.
In Irmo, incumbent town councilman William Danielson is running for a full term after winning a special election in 2020 to fill current Mayor Barry Walker’s old seat. Former USC professor Barb Waldman, who also ran in 2020, is now running in the at-large town council race along with Jenne Bennett and commercial real estate director Brent Chitwood, one of whom will replace current Town Councilwoman Kathy Condom.
In Cayce, City Councilman Tim James is running for re-election against Karen Dawkins, while Councilwoman Ann Bailey-Robinson is running for re-election against Hunter Sox, the legislative initiatives coordinator at the S.C. Institute of Medicine and Public Health, and Kelly Wuest, program director for Homeless No More.
In West Columbia, incumbent council members Erin Porter and Mickey Pringle are running unopposed, while Casey Hallman will face a challenge from retired company training instructor Joe Fitzgerald in District 3, and Councilman Mike Green is running against Peter Fisher in District 1.
In Pine Ridge, Mayor Daniel Davis is seeking a full term after he was elected in June by a single vote to fill the rest of the term of Mayor Robert Wells, who resigned earlier this year citing complications from COVID-19. Wells is now suing Davis over his handling of the controversy around the small town’s one-man police department last year.
In Swansea, multiple candidates are running to replace Mayor Jerald Sanders. Town Councilman Michael Luongo; Viola McDaniel, a retired state government employee who owns a carpet-cleaning business; grocery store manager Ray Spires; and Hunter Hackett, owner of Hackett Management Solutions, are running for mayor.
Sanders was suspended from office in July when he was indicted by a grand jury on charges of embezzling town funds, charges Sanders has denied. Luongo has been a critic of Sanders. McDaniel said she hopes to bring a stabilizing, moderating influence to the town after the latest controversy.
In Batesburg-Leesville, Mayor Lancer Shull is running for another term against Town Councilman Steve Cain. Cain is simultaneously running for one of four seats up for election to the town council.
In Gilbert, Mayor Donnie Cason is running for re-election against Town Councilman John Reeder and former town zoning administrator Fred Taylor.
In Springdale, town council members Viki Fecas and Juston Ricard are running to replace outgoing Mayor Michael Bishop.
Election Day in all of Lexington County’s cities and towns is Tuesday, Nov. 2.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:21 PM.
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