Richland councilman wasn’t running for reelection. What’s behind late write-in bid?
A Richland County Council race that had seemed to be a foregone conclusion is being shaken up by a surprise write-in campaign just weeks before Election Day.
Councilman Bill Malinowski had been on the way out in District 1. He did not file to run for another term in the northwestern Richland County district covering the Irmo suburbs, and his name won’t appear on the ballot when voters head to the polls Nov. 8.
But Malinowski said he was approached earlier this summer by constituents who wanted him to continue representing them on the county council, even though the filing period for candidates had long since closed. They sought his blessing to launch a write-in campaign, hoping to get enough people to write in his name to get Malinowski back on the council for another four-year term.
“I told them if they successfully mounted a campaign, I would serve again,” said Malinowski.
Malinowski said he’s supporting the campaign, although he isn’t actively campaigning for another term on county council and acknowledges any write-in campaign faces long odds of success. The campaign so far includes handing out business cards to remind voters how to correctly spell “Malinowski” and recycling old Malinowski campaign signs with “write in” written over the candidate’s name, along with a dedicated website at WeWantBill.com.
Jason Branham, the Republican who is the only candidate listed on the ballot for District 1, said he was “confused” to learn of a Malinowski write-in campaign, since Malinowski had publicly endorsed his bid to replace him on the county council twice. He said he only found out about the write-in campaign a few weeks ago.
“He liked me obviously when he endorsed me, and I’m sure he’ll love me again after Nov. 8,” Branham said, noting he’s also scored endorsements from U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Springdale, and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
Malinowski said if he gets back on the council, he wants to focus on the rewriting of the county’s land development code. Many property owners have expressed concerns to him about the effects of loosening rules for multi-family housing and business development will have on their property values.
“I’m not against development, as long as development is negotiated with the affected property there, with the people who have bought into it and like it there,” Malinowski said.
For his part, Branham, a real estate attorney, notes that he wrote a research paper on Richland County’s land development code while in law school at the University of South Carolina.
Malinowski is realistic about the chances of enough District 1 voters taking the extra step to write in his name for another term on the county council, but believes there is enough of a chance to justify making the attempt.
“In the end, I’ll vote for myself,” Malinowski said. “If you don’t believe, why go to all the trouble? You have to stay positive.”
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 12:09 PM.
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