Atlantic Beach town councilwoman Retha Pierce filed an appeal on Thursday against a judge’s decision to hold a new election for mayor.
The declared winner of last November’s Atlantic Beach mayor’s race, Retha Pierce, filed an appeal against a circuit court judge’s decision to hold a new election in the town’s disputed mayoral election.
Pierce beat incumbent Irene Armstrong by just one vote in last year’s election. Since then, Pierce was arrested for resisting arrest and Armstrong was indicted for misusing town money and paying for votes. Both candidates appealed the decision by the town’s election commission to hold a new election. In a hearing on March 17, both Pierce and Armstrong pleaded their sides to a circuit court.
Then on April 16, Judge Michael Baxley ordered that the original election be thrown out, and a new election be held. He also said that the new election would be open to new candidates as well.
Candidate filings and a date for the new election was set to be decided on May 16, according to the director of the Horry County elections and registration, Sandy Martin.
Pierce’s latest plea will now head to the South Carolina Supreme Court who will now decide whether or not to uphold Baxley’s decision. That decision could take up to a year.
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