Hello REALTORS®,
Election Day in 2025 is November 4, and filing has closed for 39 city and town council seats and 5 mayors, so we know who is running in 14 of our cities and towns. Plus, 3 vacant seats on 3 councils will be on the ballot for special elections. In this Watchdog Report, I provide a preview of the fall elections.
Most city elections are nonpartisan. In the Western Upstate, all of them are nonpartisan. That means political parties aren’t involved in nominating the candidates, and there are no primaries. This is who is running:
Anderson County Board
Pendleton City Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
Mayor
• Frank Crenshaw, incumbent
• Sarah Stokowski
Ward 1:
• Lyn Merchant, incumbent
• Nancy Von Meyer
Ward 3:
• Vince Gaulin, incumbent
Pelzer Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
Mayor
• Will Ragland, incumbent
• Chase Smithwick
• Harold Tennihill
At-Large (2 seats)
• Mike Matthews, incumbent
• Dinna Ide, incumbent
• Jason McElhannon
• Deb Seller
• Michael W. Shirley
At-Large Special Election (Cruze West resigned)
• Greg Pellum
West Pelzer Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (2 seats)
• Jeff Lee, incumbent
• Johnny C. Rogers, Sr., incumbent
• Rick Sanders
• Jeff Turner
Belton Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
Ward 1
• Mark Spence, incumbent
Ward 3
• Russ Tysl, incumbent
Ward 5
• Joshua Hawkins, incumbent
Honea Path City Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
Ward 1
• A. Earle Ashley, incumbent
Ward 3
• Jason A. Peterson
Ward 5
• Molly Fisher
Easley City Council
Nonpartisan Runoff Method
District 2 (8 homes in District 2 are in Anderson County)
• Denise Gasque Davidson, incumbent
• April Searcy
Central City Council
Nonpartisan Runoff Method
Mayor
• Ken Dill
At-Large (2 seats)
• Sara Paige Hudson Bowers, incumbent
• Doug Barry
• Daniel Evatt
• Robert C. Griffin
Norris Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (2 seats)
• Brian Cook, incumbent
• Danielle M. Harris
• Jean M. Shankweiler
Six Mile Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (2 seats)
• Judy Shaw, incumbent, Realtor
• Christopher King, incumbent
Seneca City County
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
Mayor
• S. Ronnie O’Kelley
At-Large (4 seats)
• Daniel Alexander
• Lakesha Benson, incumbent
• Kenneth Eckerson
• Ernest Riley, incumbent
• Kathy St. John
• Dana Moore, incumbent
Of interest, Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander is not running for reelection, but is running for one of the at-large seats on city council.
Walhalla City Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (3 seats)
• Kenny Johns, incumbent
• Jessie Bunning, incumbent
• Grant Keehn, incumbent
• Clint Burton
• Gisela Cromer
• Chris Grant
• Hayden Laye
• David Underwood
• Ron Winchester
Westminster City Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (3 seats) plus a special election for a fourth seat
• Dale M. Glymph, incumbent
• Ruth May, incumbent
• Jimmy M. Powell, incumbent
• Andrea Ann Harbin
• Jamie Jones
• Juni Lynch
• Charles Morgan
• Susan Alexander Ramey
West Union Town Council
Nonpartisan Plurality Method
At-Large (2 seats) plus a special election for a third seat
• Boyd Nicholson, incumbent
• Carol Mendoza, incumbent
• Ann Winkler Aubert
About the elections
Nearly all cities and towns in the Western Upstate use the plurality method—that means there is no runoff. In most cases, all the candidates are listed on the ballot, voters select the number of candidates that correspond to the number of seats, and the top voter getters win. But a few use the runoff method. That means if a candidate does not meet the minimum vote threshold, a runoff is held two weeks later with the top two vote getters names on the ballot. Click here to read a more detailed description of municipal election methods.
State law also allows cities to cancel elections and declare the winners if the number of candidates equals the number of seats on the ballot. That is the case this year in Belton, Honea Path, Central, Six Mile, Seneca, and Salem.
Voter Guide
Your Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® will produce a Voter Guide in October to help you assess all of the candidates and referendums that will be on the ballot on November 4.
And in case you are wondering, Anderson, Williamston, Clemson, and Starr hold their elections in even years—Anderson in April, and the others in November. And Iva does not report their elections to the SC Elections Commission, although all 4 seats on town council, and the mayor, are on the ballot this fall.
Support RPAC
You and your association can influence how your government affects you and regulates your industry.
Elections are an important way that your association represents you and helps make a strong market for real estate. Elections are also an important way that you participate in your government. Your association’s objective is to help elect pro-business candidates who share the Realtor position that a vibrant and healthy real estate market is vital to a vibrant and healthy economy. Of course, you must balance your personal and business interests when you vote.
You can help your industry by supporting RPAC. It’s easy. Your association includes a voluntary contribution to RPAC on your annual dues invoice. Pay it, and you are an RPAC supporter. If you haven’t supported RPAC this year, I encourage you to do so by clicking here.
Michael Dey, Director of Government Affairs