Subhead: Brock, Beauman elected to council
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood voters elected a new mayor and two councilmen Monday night.
Current Town Councilman Bryan Franklin received 330 votes for mayor, besting former mayor Keith Bailey with 252 votes and Town Councilman Malcolm Gordge with 121 votes.
Planning Commission Chair Donald Brock was the top vote getter for two open council seats with 412 votes. Town Councilman Eddie Baughman captured the other seat with 389 votes. Planning Commissioner Sloan Jarvis Griffin, III received 311 votes followed by former planning commissioner Marcus Taylor with 157 votes and political newcomer Barry Belville with 39 votes.
Four Ridgeway/Fairfield precinct votes were accounted for on the posted results, but there was no indication as to who the votes were cast for. Richland County Voter Registration provided The Voice with Ridgeway/Fairfield numbers Wednesday morning – 4 ballots cast with 12 votes: Franklin, 2; Gordge, 2; Baughman, 4; Brock, 3 and Griffin, 1.
According to Richland County, 731 ballots were cast with a 23 percent voter turnout.
The mayor’s seat and the two council seats are for four-year terms. Franklin’s election leaves an open seat on town council that will be filled by a special election.
Story updated 11/6/19 at 2:41 p.m. with information from Richland County Voter Registration Office.