Charleston, South Carolina — The battle to become Folly Beach’s next mayor appears to be headed for a runoff between Elton Culpepper and Chris Bizzell.
Unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission show Culpepper, a real estate agent, leading with 37% of the vote and Bizell, a city councilman, close behind with 31%, with all precincts reporting.
The remaining votes were split among DJ Rich, Katherine Houghton, and Ann Peets.
To avoid a runoff, a candidate must receive at least 50% plus one vote. No contender surpassed the threshold, necessitating a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes.
Both contenders want to succeed current Mayor Tim Goodwin, who is leaving after four terms in office. The victor of the runoff will become the island’s first new mayor since 2010.
Short-term rental rules, beach preservation, and infrastructure were the dominant issues in the race.
“It speaks volumes about how divisive some of this is. “A lot of people are focused on the issue of short-term rentals,” Bizzell explained. “I’ve tried to run by emphasizing that, yes, we have a balance between short-term rentals and resident communities, but there are a lot of other concerns that we need to start addressing. Flooding, rainwater runoff, and similar scenarios. It must be more detailed in its assessment of the island’s situation.”
“If people truly care about their property rights, which is what this entire movement has been about. “There’s one clear choice in this campaign, and they know it’s me,” Culpepper stated. “So, it’s going to be very important for them to come out in two weeks to make that their statement to all of Folly Beach and also try to put this island back together again.”
