Pender wins over ex-candidate to return to Rock Hill City Council

Kathy Pender will serve another term on the Rock Hill City Council, handily winning re-election on Tuesday in an unusual election campaign that finished with only one candidate in the race.

Pender won with 181 votes cast in her favor. Opponent Woody O’Neal managed to attract a handful of votes, despite the fact he announced he was dropping out of the race one week before voters headed to the polls.

O’Neal’s name still appeared on voters’ ballots in Ward 2, but vote-counters officially recorded his total as 0.

O’Neal, a 71-year-old project manager with the Charlotte utility system who also works part time in North Carolina’s emergency management office, said he decided he didn’t have the time to devote to serving on the council.

“I don’t want to do a poor job,” O’Neal told The Herald at the time he dropped out.

York County elections director Wanda Hemphill said if her office had time, they would have removed O’Neal’s name from the ballot. After formally withdrawing, she said, it was impossible for him to win no matter how many votes he received.

Pender will continue to represent Ward 2, a post she’s held since 2004. The ward covers many neighborhoods along Cherry and Celanese roads, as well as many residences along India Hook, Ebinport and Mount Gallant roads.

Prior to her service on the City Council, Pender chaired the Rock Hill school board.

Two other council members who would have appeared on the ballot Tuesday were deemed re-elected when no one filed to run against them. Sandra Oborokumo and Kevin Sutton will automatically return for another term on the council without an election even being held in their wards.

Rock Hill’s mayor and three other City Council seats won’t be up for election until 2017.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Pender wins over ex-candidate to return to Rock Hill City Council."