Pearce to appear on November ballot for Florence mayor

FLORENCE — More than 100 people gathered at Florence Mall in support of former Florence mayor Rocky Pearce and his campaign to run in the city’s mayoral election in November.

Pearce turned in more than 2,000 signatures to the Florence County Election Commission on Tuesday, with 1,569 certified and numbered for him to become a petition candidate in the election, according to a press release issued by his campaign.

To run as an independent candidate, he needed the signatures of about 1,100, or 5 percent, of the city’s registered voters, acting Florence County Voter Registration and Elections Director Steve Love said.

Pearce had until noon Tuesday to present his petition to election officials. Petition candidates must be certified by noon Aug. 15.

Pearce said he’d run regardless of Monday’s ruling on incumbent Florence Mayor Frank Willis’ appeal in the Florence mayoral primary election, the results of which showed Willis trailing Stephen J. Wukela by one vote.

Willis’ appeal was dismissed. Willis said Monday he didn’t know what his next move would be.

Willis, who was seeking a fourth term, defeated Pearce in Florence’s 1995 Democratic mayoral primary before defeating Republican John Chase to win his first term in office.

Pearce served as the city’s mayor from 1983 to 1991 as a Democrat.

Pearce said after receiving telephones calls from the community urging him to run as mayor, he decided with his family it was the right time for an “experienced leader for unity and progress.”

“I’m older and wiser ... I’m more experienced than I was in 1983,” Pearce said. “I think experienced leadership is key to our community, particularly right now.

“This is a difficult time and we need an experienced leader to guide the city through these difficult times,” he said.

Wukela said in a previous interview he has a great deal of respect for Pearce, who he said was “certainly a dedicated servant” as mayor, adding, “I look forward to a spirited race.”

There are several issues with the city that Pearce said he would like to address as mayor. Some of those include increasing job opportunities, housing, and downtown development.

Pearce said he was humbled by the community support he has received and is looking forward to serving Florence residents again.

“It’s awesome ... a very humbling experience,” he said. “It’s an awful lot of responsibility and I understand that. I appreciate the support.”

Christina Hyman, a Florence native and Pearce supporter, said she believed Pearce was the right candidate to bring change to the city.

“I have lived in Florence all my life and I feel like Florence is ready for a change and he is the one that can do that,” she said.

Preston Johnson, an offensive lineman for the Florence Phantoms indoor football team, said he shares some of the same views and values as Pearce and that’s why he wanted to show his support.

“(I’m) trying to give back to someone whose trying to give to the city of Florence, so that way we can all grow,” he said.

Pearce, a Florence native, is the president and chief executive officer of Pearce & Pearce Inc., a nationwide special risk insurance agency.

Pearce and his wife, Carolyn, have four children: David, Michael, Wylie and Jason.

— Morning News Staff Writer Charles Tomlinson contributed to this report.