Winner decided in Chester City Council special election to fill Ward 2 seat
As Tuesday’s Chester City Council special election came to a close, uncertified results showed that Jamie Price was the winner who will fill the Ward 2 seat.
Price won 58.8% of the vote, while George Caldwell won 41.2%.
Price will serve Ward 2 alongside Councilwoman TaTanish Campbell.
He grew up in Chester and left for the military at age 17. As he retires from the military 27 years later (he will officially retire in October), he is back in the place he says shaped him.
“I decided to come back home for my family,” he told The Herald. “After having some conversations with people, trying to find out the best way I could give back to my community, I decided to run.”
Of his win, Price said, “Bottom line, I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve my community. I’ve served my country for the last 27 years, and I’m just happy to serve the people who made me who I am.”
Price bested Caldwell, 78, who previously served on City Council from 2005-2015, then served as the city’s mayor from 2015-2019.
The special election was held after the Councilwoman-elect in the May 4 election resigned.
Dana Peay was elected to fill the Ward 2 seat. After election results were certified, Peay resigned. She was never sworn in to the council.
At the election results certification, Councilwoman Robbie King-Boyd raised concerns about Peay’s residency in Chester, as well as her qualifications to run for office. Peay resigned the following day.
Councilwoman Angela Douglas, who had planned to step down from the council, has continued to serve after Peay’s resignation. After a six-year tenure, she will officially leave the council following Tuesday’s election..
Price will be the fourth new member to join the council this year. First-timers will now make up almost half the council, which includes eight City Council members and Chester Mayor Wanda Stringfellow.
The Herald reported in May that the city of Chester had elected its first all-Black council.
Chester is 63.8% Black or African American, census data shows, but did not have any Black council members until 1987 and did not elect a Black mayor until 1997.
With the election of Price, the makeup of the council will stay the same, continuing a historic era for the city of Chester.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 7:44 AM.
