Voters choose Berry as Marion's mayor

Voters in Marion's Grice's Recreation Center cast their ballots with poll watchers and others looking on. Grice's is the Marion South voters' precinct. By 3 p.m., Tuesday about 222 voters had cast their ballots in that precinct, poll workers said.

By: | SCNow
Published: April 14, 2009

Marion’s Rodney Berry is the city’s new mayor. Nancy Harrelson conceded the race to him Tuesday night and Betsy Atkinson upset Ronald Davis to claim the City Council District 3 seat.

When the votes were tallied, Berry won the election, 1,330 to 616 votes. Of the city's 4,692 registered voters, 2,023 cast ballots in the mayoral race. Berry was leading by 619 votes when Harrleson conceded, though numbers from the remaining precincts had yet to be tallied.

“We can congratulate Rodney ... and wish him the best and know he’ll give us good service,” Harrelson said. When asked if she was lodging a complaint about the election process amidst talk about the buying of votes, Harrelson said, “We’ll see within 48 hours.”

According to Marion County Election Commission Chairman Robert Harrelson, candidates have 48 hours after the polls close, or until 7 p.m. Thursday, to lodge a protest about the election.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday, the commission will hold its hearing to determine the validity of all ballots challenged and validate the elections.

Berry, Marion County’s Economic Development director and two-time candidate for Marion mayor, waged a write-in campaign.

At the time of his death in March, Mayor Bobby Gerald was seeking his seventh term. He served as mayor for 24 years. Berry said Gerald’s death changed things in Marion, and he felt that although he had lost to Gerald twice before — in 2005 by 160 votes and in 2001 by 60 votes — he should declare himself a write-in candidate.

Berry said he was approached by citizens who knew of his past interest in serving and that he and his wife, Melia, decided he should run for the city’s top seat. A Marion businessman, Berry originally is from Dillon. He said county officials said there is no conflict between his elected position as a city leader and his job with the county.

In other election news, Betsy Bryant Atkinson upset incumbent Ronald Davis to lay claim to the Marion City Council’s District 3 seat. With all precincts reporting, Atkinson had 199 votes to Davis’ 189.

Seats held by Poiette McGill-Bromell and Michael Baker, districts 5 and 6, respectively, are uncontested.