Angela Black Drake wants to represent all areas of District 1 in bid for City Council

Charleston resident Angela Black Drake announced her candidacy for Charleston City Council on Thursday, March 14. In a speech at the Daniel Island Real Estate office, where she acts as a senior sales executive, Drake stated that she felt called to represent the public. “As a person who has benefited so much from this community, I feel compelled to take my service to the next level,” she said. The candidate has served several roles in the region, including Ansonborough Neighborhood Association President, charter member of the Daniel Island Rotary Club, and Daniel Island representative in the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. “I’m not a career politician by any means, but I’ve been involved with people,” Drake commented. “And I think that’s important, and to know their needs and to be on the ground and know exactly what they’re looking for.” Drake found further experience with local government, serving on the City of Charleston’s Short Term Rental Task Force and the Late Night Activity Review Committee, among others. Downtown Charleston was often the point of convergence for some of these committees, but Drake believes that the topics transcend location. “With every city, with every spur of growth, there’s always aspects that you need to address and the same situations regarding livability, traffic and transportation apply to both areas of the city: Daniel Island and downtown,” Drake asserted. District 1, the area Drake desires to represent, is an expansive territory, encapsulating a section of downtown Charleston, Daniel Island, and Cainhoy. The new candidate posits that, with her time volunteering at the Cainhoy Community Center, she will be capable of representing every demographic effectively. “Because I’m entrenched with the communities and the service groups, I hear what the residents are requesting as far as their needs,” Drake said. “Not just their needs, but also items and issues that they want to be addressed. It’s one thing to speak and talk about issues; it’s another to take action.” Drake is a 20-year veteran of the real estate business and has worked for Daniel Island Real Estate since 1998. “We were in the trailer across from Blackbaud and Daniel Island was being built,” she reminisced about her early days in Charleston. “And when we were on the phone with people, they would ask ‘what’s that noise?’ We would have pile driving going, and I was like ‘that’s the sound of progress.’” She maintains a property on Daniel Island and peninsular Charleston with her husband, Lucas Drake. “My mother lives in Smythe Park, and we have a nice situation in that we have a community downtown that we’re very much involved with and a community on Daniel Island,” Drake explained. “That’s what encouraged me to run - because I bridge the gap between the two.” Drake’s announcement comes off the heels of island resident Shawn Pinkston declaring his bid for the City Council seat on March 11. District 1 Councilman Gary White, who has held the post for almost 12 years, stated earlier this month that he will run for Mayor in 2019.