Filing has closed for local elections slated for Nov. 7 in Lexington County.

In addition to competitive mayoral races in Cayce, West Columbia and Irmo and a prospective new mayor running unopposed in the Town of Lexington, there are a variety of council and board seats on county ballots.

Lexington

The town of Lexington has three seats available as incumbents Todd Lyle, Kathy Maness, and Mayor Pro-Tem Hazel Livingston finish their terms. Lyle quickly filed for re-election, while Maness told the Chronicle on the last day to file that she is not running for re-election. After roughly two decades on council, Livingston is running for mayor and giving up her council seat.

That means there will be at least two new members of council at the end of this year’s election.

In addition to Lyle, seven challengers have filed for a council seat, with Mathew Graham and Edwin Gerace, who both ran in Lexington’s special election earlier this year, running again.

New candidates include Will Allen, Greg Brewer, Jeannie Michaels, Bennett Casto and Amelia Pocta.

Allen is the co-owner of local restaurant Mama Rabbits Nibbles and Sips. He has been a resident in the town for 10 years and said that Smallwood, a failed 93.53-acre lakeside development proposed earlier this year, was a deciding factor in his decision to run.

Brewer was a vocal voice against the Smallwood Cove development, and part of why he wants to run is to limit government and prevent over-reach. When asked, Brewer shared that he has five priorities; balance, openbook, teamwork, development, and community improvement.

Jeannie Michaels is campaigning with the slogan “Our Town - Your Voice.” Her release states she believes that there is an opportunity for more transparency between the town and its residents, listing promoting and helping small businesses, supporting law enforcement, and expanding on green spaces and walking/biking trails as other priorities.

Bennett Casto is a local attorney and has been a courtroom litigator for over 13 years and is now running for Town Council.

Local business owner Amelia Cherry Pocta filed for town council. According to the website for that business, Bald Cypress Builders, Pocta has communication and documentation skills and is a very process-oriented person. It adds that she wants to bring awareness to community impact and involvement.

The Chronicle has taken a deeper look at some of these candidates already and will have more on the others in the coming weeks.

Irmo

Irmo has three incumbents with terms ending this year. Mayor Barry Walker and Town Council Member Erik Sickinger have filed for re-election, while Kelly Bush is leaving his council post.

Walker faces a challenger, with Council Member Bill Danielson filing to run against him. Danielson has a “safe seat,”’ as his council term doesn’t expire until 2025; he has been on council since 2020.

Sickinger is running alongside four challengers in Phyllis Coleman, George Frazier, Jeff Allen, and Gabriel Penfield, so there will be a new council member taking one of the two seats up for grabs.

Allen is a prominent member of the Irmo Fire District and holds the position of chief marshal.

Penfield has been a town resident for 13 years and owns multiple businesses, including Tribal Coffee, Poore House Furnishings, Parking Lot King, and Mavericks Cigars, though his primary business is wealth management. He told the Chronicle that he would like to see more transparency both in general and fiscally, a better sense of community, and more communication between council and residents.

The Chronicle has been unable to contact Coleman and Frazier.

Cayce

Cayce’s longstanding incumbent mayor Elise Partin faces a challenger this election season in Lexington County School District 2 Bard Member Abbott “Tre” Bray. Incumbents James “Skip” Jenkins, the city’s mayor pro-tem, and Phil Carter, who respectively represent Districts 2 and 4, have filed for reelection and both face two challengers.

Marie Brown and Byron Thomas, director of outreach for Rep. Joe Wilson, have filed for the district two seat.

Melvin Fields and Marcy Hayden have filed to run against Carter for the District 4 seat. According to a LinkedIn profile, Fields is a self-employed contractor. Cayce’s website states that Hayden is a commissioner for the Cayce Historical Museum.

West Columbia

West Columbia could see as many as five new council members after the November election. In addition to Mayor Tem Miles, who faces a challenge from Melissa Sprouse Browne, four incumbents are running for re-election in Trevor Bedell, Joseph Dickey Jr., Jimmy Brooks and David Moye to City Council, while the city will also hold a special election to replace Erin Porter, who vacated her seat earlier this year after moving out of town.

Bedell, who covers District 2, is the only council member running unopposed.

Dickey, who covers District 4, faces a challenger in Ronnie Lindler. Brooks, who covers District 6, faces a challenger in Madison Duncan, a returning candidate who previously ran for mayor against Miles in 2019. Moye, who covers District 8, will face Pete Fisher, another familiar face who ran for council against Mike Green in 2021.

Two people have filed for Porter’s former seat in Trisha Lekovich and Sarah Mattern, with the winner set to serve the remainder of her term, which goes through 2025.

Chapin

The Town of Chapin has two seats open, with both Vicki Shealy and Mayor Pro-Tem Mike Clonts are reaching the end of their term. Only Shealy has filed for re-election, with no challengers having filed.

Pelion

Pelion has two seats up for grabs, with incumbent Daniel Shumpert, son of the current mayor, being the only Town Council member to file for re-election, while Mike Mascio didn’t file for re-election.

The town has had two other candidates file, those being John Elkin and John Downer.

Batesburg-Leesville

The merged towns of Batesburg-Leesville have four Town Council seats on the ballot, with three incumbents, Johnnie Mae Speech-Lemon, Paul Wise and Bob Hall, filing for re-election.

The three incumbents represent Districts 4, 6 and 8 and have all been on council since 2019. 

One other incumbent, Olin Gambrell of District 2, has been on council since 2017 after being elected to fill the remainder of an unexpired term. He was re-elected in 2019. According to Jay Hendrix, assistant town manager, Gambrell is not holding a write-in campaign and will be retiring following his time on council.

David Bouknight Jr. has filed for Gambrell’s open seat. He is a member of the town's Planning Commission and is a local business owner.

Wise and Speech-Lemon face challengers. Hall is running unopposed.

Betty Barnes Hartley filed for District 4, and Tillman Gives filed for District 6.

Hendrix told the Chronicle that he is unaware of any write-in campaigns, mentioning that the town has not had a candidate win through a write-in in a very long time.

Summit

Summit currently has two incumbents running for re-election. Mayor David Reese and Town Council Member Mike Hartley are seeking re-election. 

Robert Shultz has filed for a seat on council and will likely get it, as only two people have filed for the two seats up for grabs.

Pine Ridge

The Pine Ridge Town Council has two terms ending this year, with council members Melissa Lewie and Beth Sturkie ending their current terms. Sturkie filed for re-election, while Lewie did not. 

According to Pine Ridge Town Hall, it is unclear whether Lewie will be holding a write-in campaign.

Springdale

Springdale has three incumbent Town Council members – Viki Fecas, Steve Hallman and Cory Hook – running for re-election. All three are running unopposed.

Swansea

Swansea Town Council Members Michael Luongo and Doris Simmons are running unopposed for re-election in Districts 3 and 4, respectively. Luongo ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021.

Gilbert

Gilbert will have two vacancies on Town Council, as Nancy Harmon and Mark Sanders reach the end of their terms. Both appear to be coming off council, as only one person, Fred Taylor, has filed to run.

According to the Gilbert town website Taylor is a member of the Planning Commission.

Lexington County School District 4

The district will hold a special election Nov. 7 with board member Zachary Smith having resigned due to personal reasons. Filing for the seat is open until Sept. 15, and no one had filed as of the Chronicle’s Sept. 5 press deadline.

How to Vote

In South Carolina, voters are required to register 30 days before Election Day online or in person and can register by mail so long as it’s postmarked at least 30 days before the election.

You can check your registration status at vrems.scvotes.sc.gov.

In-person absentee voting in South Carolina was replaced in 2021 with a two-week early voting period. Any voter can visit an early-voting location in their county and vote like they would at their polling place on Election Day. Voters will be asked to present a photo ID when checking in. Early voting for the Nov. 7 election will take place Oct. 24-Nov. 3, with Lexington County voters able to cast ballots early at the Lexington County Registration & Elections Office (605 West Main St., Lexington, Room 130).