Fanning Wins State Senate, Trapp Retakes District 3
BLYTHEWOOD/FAIRFIELD – Two long-standing Fairfield County Council members were bumped out Tuesday night, while a former Councilman who was ousted in 2013 reclaimed his seat in local election results. Fairfield County voters also gave their approval to Sunday alcohol sales.
Bertha Goins
District 4 Councilman Kamau Marcharia and District 6 Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley, both first elected in 1996, were handed defeats Tuesday.
Bertha Goins bested Marcharia in District 4, 659 votes (43.36 percent) to 493 (32.43 percent). Quincy Pringle Sr. earned 365 votes (24.01 percent) in the race.
Jimmy Ray Douglas
In District 6, Cornelius Neil Robinson toppled Kinley 441 votes (39.8 percent) to 234 (21.12 percent). Gwen Harden finished second in the district with 357 votes (32.22 percent).
Jimmy Ray Douglas cruised to a win in District 2 with 785 votes (49.53 percent). J. Renee Green earned 496 votes (31.29 percent) and Clyde Wade 302 votes (19.05 percent). District 2 Councilwoman Carolyn Robinson did not seek re-election.
Mikel Trapp
A late surge lifted Mikel Trapp to a District 3 victory Tuesday as his 651 votes (47 percent) were enough to beat out Peggy Swearingen’s 535 votes (38.63 percent) and Kirk Chappell’s 197 votes (14.22 percent).
Trapp lost a 2013 re-vote after the 2012 results were overturned by the Election Commission. Col. Walter Larry Stewart, who defeated Trapp in the 2013 re-vote, resigned last summer for health reasons.
The only contested race on the Fairfield County School Board went to Paula Hartman, who won reelection to District 2 with a narrow 694 (51.18 percent) to 653 (48.16 percent) win over Janet Mason.
In the race for the District 17 seat in the S.C. State Senate, Democrat Mike Fanning notched a win over Republican Mark Palmer, 20,270 to 18,190 on a race that spanned Fairfield, Chester and York counties.
Democrat MaryGail Douglas, meanwhile, was uncontested in her reelection bid for the District 41 seat in the State House of Representatives.
Joyce Dickerson also won an uncontested reelection to Richland County Council’s District 2 seat.
Lindsay Agostini (13,179 votes) and Monica Elkins (11,326 votes) were the top two vote-getters for the at-large seats on the Richland 2 School Board.
Democrat Mia McLeod was the winner over Republican Susan Brill for the State Senate District 22 seat that spans Richland and Kershaw counties.
In other uncontested Fairfield County races, Will Montgomery was returned to the Sheriff’s Office; Judy Bonds will be the next Clerk of Court; and Chris Hill the new County Coroner.
Annie McDaniel (District 4) and William Frick (District 6) were also uncontested in their respective School Board races.
Fairfield County voters overwhelming approved Sunday alcohol sales, 6,472 (64.45 percent) to 3,570 (35.55 percent). That matter will now go before County Council for approval.
Well done Fairfield County! Nearly 72% of registered voters exercised their right yesterday. Whether your candidate won or not (and some of mine didn’t), it’s a blessing to know the people of Fairfield County cared enough, especially in the local elections, to take time out of their day to vote.
Congratulations to the new Council members. Just some thoughts look at the waste of money and redundancy of people filling jobs.
Well done to all the candiates and to all who exercised their voting rights. Now let’s move forward together.