Kingstree Town Council candidates to face runoff election

KINGSTREE — One ballot wasn’t enough to find a winner for the Seat 5 on Kingstree Town Council.
Incumbent Robert McKenzie and challenger Bubba Hammett Jr. tied with 44 votes apiece, with the unofficial results declared after five absentee ballots were counted just before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Jackie Robinson, the third candidate in the race, received nine votes.
Priscilla Cooper, elections chairwoman for Williamsburg County, said a runoff election between McKenzie and Hammett will be Nov. 17.
“I knew it would be close,” Hammett said during a telephone interview following announcement. “I had no idea it would be a tie. The last election that Robert (McKenzie) and I were the only two vying for that seat, I think I was, like eight votes shy ... Like I said, I knew it would be close, but with that third candidate in there, I had no idea it would be a tie.”

Hammett said the election ran smoothly and he was impressed by voter turnout.

Of the 350 to 400 voters he said are registered in the Seat 5 district, Hammett said, he saw the 99 votes counted as a positive sign.

“That’s a good sign that people are interest and they’re getting back out and voting,” he said. “We just need to get them out one more time, and I know that’s going to be tough.”

As far as strategy is concerned,  Hammett said he plans to continue the door-to-door campaign he instituted in the past few weeks.

Hammett said he called McKenzie after the results were announced and the two had a brief but pleasant conversation.

McKenzie could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Seat 4 incumbent Monica Murdaugh ran unopposed, as did John Floyd for Seat 3, in Tuesday’s election. Seat 3 incumbent Richard B. Josey didn’t seek re-election.