Beaufort County Elects Incumbents and New Mayor Amidst Surge in Voter Turnout on Election Night

Beaufort County’s Election Night: A Mix of the Familiar and the New!

Beaufort, oh what a night it was! As the November 5 general election wrapped up, it brought some significant shifts at the presidential level, but what about the local races? In Beaufort County, voters seemed to favor the tried and true, going for their incumbents down the ballot.

Incumbents Hold Their Ground

In a night where plenty of big calls for change echoed throughout the country, Beaufort County residents chose stability. Voters showed their support for three county council members: Gerald Dawson for District 1, York Glover for District 3, and Logan Cunningham for District 7, all of whom retained their seats with flaring confidence.

But that wasn’t all folks! The penny tax, a controversial proposal aimed at funding infrastructure projects, was shot down by the electorate. It’s clear the residents had some specific ideas in mind, signaling that they are not particularly ready for hefty tax increments, even for the sake of community improvement!

Voter Turnout on the Rise!

One nifty detail? Voter turnout hit a smashing 75.1%, with over 105,000 ballots cast out of 140,221 registered voters—a nice bump from the 71% turnout witnessed in the last election back in November 2020. It seems more folks are stirring from their couches to have their say!

Slow but Steady Results

The polls may have closed at 7 p.m., but prep yourself for a bit of a wait! Results didn’t start rolling in until about 9 p.m. due to a little hiccup with one of the county’s tabulators. Patience was key that evening!

New Leadership in Beaufort City

While incumbents were flying high, the city of Beaufort decided to shake things up just a tad by electing former council member Phil Cromer as the city’s new mayor. Cromer managed to grab 843 more votes than his opponent, young gun Josh Scallate, who campaigned hard for some fresh perspectives in city leadership. Looks like the residents appreciated experience this time around!

In the city council elections, the incumbents were once again favored, with Mitch Mitchell and Neil Lipsitz keeping their council seats against a spirited challenge from Julie Crenshaw and Josh Gibson.

Hilton Head Selections

Across the bridge on Hilton Head Island, the voters confirmed their confidence in established leaders. A big shoutout to Alex Brown, who snagged reelection in Ward 1, while Melinda Tunner marked her debut as a new council member for Ward 6. Ward 3’s seat went to Steve DeSimone, a familiar face since he once served on the council back in the early 2000s.

Republicans Stay Strong in the State Legislature

The same story continued for the state level as well where all incumbent legislators representing Beaufort County remained in their positions. Bill Hager, Jeff Bradley, Weston Newton, and Bill Herbkersman were all reelected for the South Carolina House, while Margie Bright Matthews sailed through her unopposed race in the state senate.

Presidential Outcome

Now back to the presidential front! In a dramatic turn of events, Donald J. Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 election early Wednesday morning, racking up a whopping 56.6% of votes in Beaufort County. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris trailed behind with just 42.1%. Interestingly, Harris did steal the show in 22 of the county’s 126 precincts, particularly shining in the Sheldon 2 precinct, where she captured an impressive 82.1% of the vote!

Looking Ahead

If you’re keen on political happenings, buckle up because there are only 1,460 days left until the next general election on November 7, 2028. Time flies, doesn’t it?

As Beaufort settles in after a whirlwind election night, residents can look forward to seeing how their local leaders pave the way forward. Cheers to being involved and making your voices heard!