In less than 24 hours, Charleston’s next mayor will be decided.
For the runoff election, voters have their choice between state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis and businessman John Tecklenburg. Tecklenburg gained the most support in the Nov. 3 general election, squeaking by Stavrinakis by fewer than 300 votes.
Two seats on City Council are also up for grabs. District 1 voters will decide between incumbent Gary White and newcomer Shawn Pinkston. Pinkston topped White by just eight votes in one of the closest races in recent history, but he fell short of claiming the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Challenger Jimmy Bailey Jr. and longtime council member James Lewis Jr. are going head to head for the District 3 seat. Lewis received more than 49 percent of the votes in the Nov. 3 election, but Bailey and third-place contender Luqman Rasheed were able to grab enough votes to force the runoff.
Polls open at 7 a.m. across the city, and residents can cast their votes until 7 p.m. Preliminary results will be posted online after polls close.
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