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.
In Batesburg-Leesville, no candidate won a majority in a four-way race, sending two incumbent town councilmen to a runoff to succeed outgoing Mayor Lancer Shull.
David Bouknight, who runs a water pump installation business, was leading after Tuesday’s election with 42% of the vote, unofficial results show. He’s served on the town council since 2023.
He’ll likely face a runoff against Councilman Steve Cain, an insurance agent who finished second with 29% of the vote.
Cain has served 20 years on the council and been a foe of Shull. He filed a complaint about a town council vote that led to both Shull and Cain facing fines from the S.C. Ethics Commission. He’s also criticized how the current town council operates, claiming not to be provided with enough information prior to votes.
Bouknight offered more praise to how the town has conducted itself, including in securing a new water line in agreement with the Lexington County Joint Water and Sewer Commission that replaced the town’s aging water plant.
Among the other mayoral candidates, Greg Moseley won 18% of the vote, while Larry McConnaughhay had 10%.
Cain also won re-election to his District 3 council seat on Tuesday, results show, which means if he does become mayor, voters will also be asked to choose a new council member as well.
In Swansea, meanwhile, voters in Town Council District 1 may be asked to vote again after two candidates finished in a tie. Incumbent Councilwoman Linda Bulter and challenger Angie Alley both won exactly 21 votes each according to preliminary results.
Provisional and failsafe ballots could still be counted when the county election commission meets to certify the results on Thursday. If the two candidates remain tied, voters will be asked to choose again between the two candidates in a runoff, County Elections Director Lenice Shoemaker told The State.
The commission is also identifying the winning candidates in the Gilbert Town Council race. No candidates filed for two open council seats, and instead the race received 70 write-in votes. The top two vote getters will join the council if willing to serve, Shoemaker said.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 11:28 AM.
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