Nancy Mace and Joe Cunningham score victories at the polls

Berkeley County swats down county-administrator proposal

The precincts are closed, the votes are tallied, and the Lowcountry has spoken.

Incumbent Republican Nancy Mace won the House District 99 seat, Democrat Joe Cunningham will be the First Congressional District representative, and Berkeley County voters chose to keep the county-supervisor form of government.

Daniel Island resident Nancy Mace won a decisive victory against Democrat Jen Gibson, walking away with 61.75 percent of the vote. Mace became the District 99 representative in January 2018 after a special election, a contest prompted by the departure of former representative Jim Merrill, who plead guilty to misconduct during a 2017 ethics probe and resigned shortly after.

“I just want people to know that I am eternally grateful and humbled,” said Mace. “I want to thank people for their patience, for their passion, for standing in line to exercise their right to vote.”

Mace said that she wants to continue the work that she began in January, stating that infrastructure is still her biggest goal. She also wants to explore anti-child luring laws, and legalizing non-smokable medical marijuana.

In South Carolina’s First Congressional District, an upset followed an upset. After Katie Arrington gained a surprising victory for the Republican nomination, ousting longtime political representative Mark Sanford in the 2018 primary election, Joe Cunningham bested her for the U.S. House seat. In a razor thin margin, Cunningham won by 2 percent of the vote. He will be the first Democrat in almost 40 years to hold the District 1 spot.

“Last night we brought Democrats and Republicans together to make history,” posted Cunningham on his Facebook page the day after the election. “I am incredibly humbled that you have afforded me the opportunity to serve you in Washington.”

Cunningham held a press conference late Wednesday to talk more about his historic victory. He spoke about starting his campaign on a small kitchen table in West Ashley, with no staffers, no money, and no experience in running for political office.

“We knew if things didn’t change in Washington that our children would inherit a country much more divided and divisive than any of us could ever imagine,” said Cunningham, who told those gathered he wanted to run a positive campaign that did not tear down his opponent, but focused on issues. “…I believe that politics should not be about scoring points. It should be about working together to do what’s right and that’s exactly what I intend on doing in Washington.”

Cunningham called Arrington “a fighter” and a spirited campaigner who showed “real courage” after a serious car accident and losing her mother this year. He also thanked Congressman Mark Sanford for his years of service.

“He’s a patriot and a fierce defender of our environment,” noted Cunningham. “It’s a legacy that I intend on continuing in Congress.”

Cunningham said he looks forward to transitioning to his new role and tackling the issues that are important to the Lowcountry.

“Today, this campaign has come to an end,” he added. “Tomorrow, we start the process of leading and governing. And to the people who voted for my opponent, I want you all to know that my door will always be open to you and you will always have a seat at the table…We have full faith and confidence that our message about bipartisanship and working across the aisle was the right message at the right time, and it’s one that this district needs, it’s one this country needs, now more than ever.”

“The First Congressional District last night lost the conservative agenda,” said Arrington at a Wednesday morning press conference. “I believe in the platform I went out on. I believe in tax cuts, I believe in border security, and I absolutely believe in infrastructure for this great nation and, most of all, this district. So, 2020 is just a few years away.”

Lastly, Berkeley County voters decided to retain the county-supervisor form of government over the proposed county-administrator system. Just over 53 percent voted to keep the current form. The new system would have ended the elected supervisor position and allowed county council to hire an administrator. Supervisors and administrators perform many of the same tasks, but supervisors oversee county council, while administrators do not. Four of the eight precincts in the Daniel Island/Cainhoy area voted to change the system.

Sheriff Duane Lewis, Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb, and District 2 School Board Representative Mac McQuillin all ran unopposed for their respective positions.

The unofficial totals from Berkeley County’s voter turnout show 53.2 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in the general election. According to scvotes.org, the Stratford 1 precinct had the lowest voter turnout in the county at 33.52 percent, while Shulerville had the highest at 61.76 percent. Running a close second were Daniel Island 1 and Bethera with turnouts at 60 percent.

Elizabeth Bush contributed to this story.

BALLOT BREAKDOWN

Daniel Island/Cainhoy area precincts

VOTER TURNOUT

Daniel Island 1: 60%

Daniel Island 2: 49.87%

Daniel Island 3: 46.38%

Daniel Island 4: 46.29%

Cainhoy: 51.5%

Huger: 49.79%

The Village: 42.23%

Yellow House: 43.95%

S.C. FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT RACE
U.S. HOUSE

Joe Cunningham (D)* vs. Katie Arrington (R)

Daniel Island 1: Katie Arrington (60.49%)

Daniel Island 2: Joe Cunningham (50.5%)

Daniel Island 3: Joe Cunningham (53.15%)

Daniel Island 4: Katie Arrington (51%)

The Village: Katie Arrington (52.86%)

Yellow House: Katie Arrington (42.36%)

HOUSE DISTRICT 99
S.C. HOUSE

Nancy Mace (R)* vs.

Jen Gibson (D)

Daniel Island 1: Nancy Mace (70%)

Daniel Island 2: Nancy Mace (54.04%)

Daniel Island 3: Nancy Mace (55.54%)

Daniel Island 4: Nancy Mace (60.89%)

The Village: Nancy Mace (55.99%)

Yellow House: Nancy Mace (50.51%)

BALLOT QUESTION:

Council-Administrator (YES)/ Council-Supervisor (NO)*

Daniel Island 1: Yes (49.95%)

Daniel Island 2: Yes (46.21%)

Daniel Island 3: No (46.22%)

Daniel Island 4: Yes (45.58)

Cainhoy: No (46.5%)

Huger: No (54.04%)

The Village: Yes (48.54%)

Yellow House: No (45.30%)

*Overall winner

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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