BRADLEY HARRIS T&D Staff Writer
In Bowman, Patsy Rhett was elected as the town’s next mayor. Rhett received 178 votes to become the successor of the late Marion Glenn. Fellow mayoral candidate Aretha Allison received 45 votes.
“I’d like to thank the voters of the Town of Bowman for voting for me and casting their confidence in me to be mayor for the next four years,” Rhett stated.
She said, “I am going to do my best to make sure that I uphold their confidence in me in doing what’s needed to take Bowman forward.”
Bowman also held an election for two council seats, for which three candidates were seeking to be elected. Candidates Shaquetta Pelzer, 185 votes, and Michael Void, 172 votes, were elected. Candidate Jessica Darnell received 22 votes.
In Branchville, Frank Dickson was re-elected and will serve his second term as mayor. Dickson received 107 votes. Challenger Donald Connelly received 91 votes.
Dickson thanked those who voted for him.
“I want to thank the citizens of Branchville for turning out and electing me for my second term as mayor. I’d like to thank all of the poll workers that worked all day long, and I look forward to serving Branchville for the next four years and completing some projects that myself and council have started in the past four years,” Dickson stated.
Branchville also held an election for three council seats. Candidates Gregory Oliver, 146 votes, Charles Dukes, 144 votes, and Kenneth Hardee, 114 votes, were elected. Candidate Thomas Connelly received 112 votes.
In North, Julius Jones was elected as mayor. Jones received 146 votes, and fellow candidate Andrew Gleaton Jackson received 54 votes.
Jones thanked those who voted for him.
North also held an election for two council seats. Candidates Jeff Washington, 143 votes, and Tonya Jeffcoat, 125 votes, were elected. Candidate Wanda Whetstone received 91 votes.
In Norway, challenger Tracie Clemons received 67 votes to defeat Mayor Ann Johnson, who received 49 votes in her re-election bid.
In Springfield, Ed Furtick was re-elected as mayor. Furtick, who will be serving his second term, received 116 votes. Challenger Adam Evans received 31 votes.
Furtick stated that he plans to improve the town over the next four years.
“I’d just like to thank all the people that got out and participated in the election, everyone that got out and voted. I’d like to thank everyone that ran for office. I look forward to serving the people of Springfield as I have for the last four years. It’s a great little town, and I’m just going to keep moving forward,” Furtick said.
Springfield also held an election for four council seats. Candidates Francine Edwards, 112 votes, Beth West, 84 votes, Olin Williams, 84 votes, and Anne Green, 81 votes, were elected. Candidate Lydia Lackey received 66 votes, and candidate Shelia Ferguson Jamison received 56 votes.
In Holly Hill, there was an election for Council Districts 1 and 2. LeAnne Troutman, who received 94 votes, was re-elected to District 1. Challenger Billy Chavis received 65 votes.
Write-in candidate David Barber received 25 votes to be elected to District 2. Jan Wiles, who was seeking to be re-elected, received 15 votes.
Orangeburg County voters used a new voting system during the elections.
Voter Registration and Elections Director Aurora Smalls reported that there were no problems with the new voting machines.
"I know our workers enjoyed using the new machines,” Smalls said.
Smalls said voters also seemed to like the machines.
"We didn't have any complaints about the machines at all," she said.
As far as turnout, Smalls said it was “pretty good for being a municipal election.”
"It is usually pretty good when you have mayors running,” Smalls said. “For those areas having mayors, it was a big turnout."
In particular, Smalls said Springfield and North had good turnouts. She also noted Holly Hill had a good turnout due to a council seat being contested.
In Calhoun County, the Town of St. Matthews and the Town of Cameron held elections.
In St. Matthews, Helen Carson-Peterson was re-elected as mayor. Carson-Peterson received 357 votes. Challenger Chris Smith received 185 votes, and fellow challenger Donald White received 46 votes.
This article was obtained from the Times and Democrat website.