Runoff likely: Roddey, Gettys deadlocked in Round 1 of Rock Hill mayoral race
York County Council member William “Bump” Roddey and Rock Hill Sports Commission Chair John Gettys will likely head for a deciding runoff election on Oct. 31 in Rock Hill’s mayoral race.
With 36 of 39 precincts reporting, Roddey held 3,986 votes (45.13 percent) over Gettys with 3,952 votes (44.74 percent).
Challenger and veteran landscape architect Duane Christopher came in third with 890 votes (10 percent).
“This has been a wonderful journey,” Roddey said Tuesday night. “We ran this campaign on a shoestring budget. We hit the ground running and showed them that we respect people, we don’t respect the money.”
Candidates needed 50 percent of the votes, plus one to avoid a runoff. The York County elections board will meet 10 a.m. Thursday to officially certify election results.
“We’ve got to really keep this energy going,” said Gettys, addressing a large group of supporters at a family home on East Main Street in Rock Hill. “This is too important to step back now. We’ve got to get our people out to vote as best we can.”
Mayor Doug Echols is stepping aside after 28 years, including the last 20 years as mayor.
“I’m in shock, but that’s OK,” said Christopher, who indicated he might consider endorsing either Gettys or Roddey. “For all the real platform we had and to only get 10 percent, I really don’t understand. I guess a conservative mayor is not what the city wanted.”
The election also decided the winners of three city council seats representing Wards 4, 5 and 6. The positions up for grabs represent much of the city’s top elected leadership.
The race for Ward 5 pitted incumbent Ann Williamson against challengers Nikita Jackson and Brandon Smith. Ward 5 represents the southernmost portion of Rock Hill, including neighborhoods throughout Albright Road and Saluda Street.
Jackson led by 792 votes (44.12 percent) over Williamson with 601 votes (33.48 percent). Smith had 396 votes (22.06 percent).
If the results hold, there will be a runoff for both the mayoral and Ward 5 races.
Jim Reno, who has served on the Rock Hill City Council for 20 years, faced real estate analyst Barrett Maners in the race for the Ward 6 seat. Ward 6 includes residents in the northeast part of Rock Hill, bordering Fort Mill and the Catawba River.
Reno led Maners by 573 votes (51.62 percent) to 527 votes (47.48 percent) by the end of the night.
Council member John Black, seeking his third term, ran unopposed in Ward 4. Ward 4 covers residents in Rock Hill’s northwest neighborhoods, including stretches of Heckle Boulevard.
He received around 98 percent of the vote.
Around 18 percent of registered Rock Hill voters came out to vote on Tuesday, according to officials.
Polls were open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.. Rock Hill’s city council is made up of six city council members and the mayor. The new council members will officially take office at the first city council meeting in January.
Click this link to find out which Rock Hill ward and city council representative represents you.
David Thackham: 803-329-4066, @dthackham
What does Rock Hill’s City Council look like now?
What does Rock Hill’s City Council look like now?
▪ Ward 1, Sandra Oborokumo: Oborokumo has served on the City Council for nearly five years since she was first elected in 2012. She will be up for re-election for her third term in 2019.
▪ Ward 2, Kathy Pender: Pender has served on the City Council for 13 years and is serving in her fourth term. She will be up for re-election in 2019.
▪ Ward 3, Kevin Sutton: Sutton has served on the City Council for 23 years and has been re-elected six times. He’ll be up for re-election in 2019.
▪ Ward 4, John Black: Black has served on the City Council for seven years and is serving in his second term.
▪ Ward 5, Ann Williamson: Williamson has served on the City Council since January 2014. She is serving her first term.
▪ Ward 6, Jim Reno: Reno has served on the City Council for 19 years and has been re-elected 4 times. He is serving his fifth term.
This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Runoff likely: Roddey, Gettys deadlocked in Round 1 of Rock Hill mayoral race."