11/8 NEWSBREAK: Charleston area elections see big changes, familiar faces

Former North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess swept a crowded 10-way field in the city’s mayoral election Tuesday night, securing nearly 60% of votes by 10 p.m. with 95% of precincts reporting. He will become the first new mayor of the city in nearly 30 years. He also will become the city’s first Black mayor. North Charleston’s high-profile election garnered a lot of attention after longtime Mayor Keith Summey announced he would not run for reelection. Read more about elections in North Charleston.

Meanwhile in Charleston, incumbent Mayor John Tecklenburg is headed to a runoff with former Republican state Rep. William Cogswell Nov. 21 after a six-way race in which Cogswell outpolled Tecklenburg by about 1,400 votes out of 30,000.

With almost all votes counted Tuesday as of 10:30 p.m., Cogswell nabbed 10,907 votes (36.7%) to 9,725 (32.2%) for Tecklenburg, who is running for his third term as mayor. Four other candidates split the remaining third of votes — Clay Middleton with 18%, Peter Shahid with 8%, Mika Gadsden with 3% and Debra Gammons with just over 1%. In six Charleston council races, four incumbents, including two who were unopposed, won reelection.

Also in Tuesday’s voting:

Charleston County voters elected state Rep. Deon Tedder, D-North Charleston, to a state Senate seat vacated by former Sen. Marlon Kimpson. Tedder nabbed 81% of the vote to overpowerGOP candidate Rosa Kay in the district that heavily favors Democrats.
Voters passed a $70 million park bond referendum. Berkeley County voters also passed a referendum to fund local parks.
On Isle of Palms, residents voted against limiting short-term rentals.

In recent headlines:

Clerk of court denies jury tampering in Murdaugh trial. Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, accused of tampering with the S.C. jury that found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder, denied asking jurors if they thought he was guilty before deliberations.

S.C. lawmakers to examine potential changes to judge selection in state. For the last several months, more voices have been added to calls for South Carolina to reform the way it picks judges.

Roper gets top grades in safety rating; MUSC sees mixed reviews. All four hospitals in the Roper St. Francis Healthcare System got top marks in a new national ranking for safety and health.

Charleston locals to open high-end retail spot on King Street. A new retail store to be located at an iconic hotel, will offer a personalized experience where guests work one-on-one with a skilled stylist to create a unique product.