The North Charleston mayor’s race is already underway with three official bids in place and more expected to come.
North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess on March 24 officially announced his bid for mayor the day after announcing his retirement from the police department, becoming the most recent to throw his hat into the ring. Also in the race: North Charleston City Council member Rhonda Jerome and former mayoral candidate and North Charleston businessman John Singletary.
Burgess’ announcement came after months of speculation as public officials and community leaders consistently pointed to the chief as a strong potential candidate. The speculation came to a head March 10 when current North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced he would not seek reelection to the office, and Summey named Burgess as his preferred successor. Less than two weeks later, Burgess announced his retirement as chief effective May 1.
Burgess, a North Charleston native, served as a police officer in the city for 34 years before taking over as chief in 2018. He succeeded Eddie Driggers, who became a special assistant to Summey. If elected in November, Burgess would be the first Black mayor of North Charleston, the third-largest municipality in South Carolina.
“I have walked the streets of this amazing and dynamic city to make myself available to all, to build bonds and to show that all great things can be accomplished through when we work together,” Burgess said in a statement.
In his retirement announcement, Burgess hinted at a continued future of public service in North Charleston.
“Over the past couple of years, my role in the next phase of my life began to become clearer,” Burgess wrote in a campaign announcement. “I knew that when the time was right and Mayor Summey had completed his service as mayor of North Charleston, my thoughts and vision would become reality.”
More candidates to come
The coming mayoral election is anticipated to be crowded, with several community leaders and locally based politicians having long been considering a bid. Other possible candidates are Charleston County Council member and former chair Teddie Pryor and former North Charleston City Attorney Brady Hair.
“This will be one of the most important mayoral races in the city’s history,” S.C. Rep. Marvin Pendarvis, a North Charleston Democrat, told the City Paper earlier this month. “North Charleston just celebrated 50 years last year, and the next mayor will essentially be tasked with laying the vision for what the next 50 years is going to look like.
“It’s going to be important for that mayor to have leadership ability, for them to be someone the people can look to to step up and lead on day one,” he added.
Burgess has led the North Charleston Police Department to chip away at public skepticism and shift policing strategies in the wake of the 2015 shooting of Walter Scott at the hands of a North Charleston office. He became the city’s first Black police chief in 2018, and a racial bias audit was completed in 2021, revealing disparities in many police interactions with the community.
In an article published by The New York Times last week, Burgess said part of the change is getting the police to see the humanity in the community and imagine what it must feel like for a community member to be mistreated.
North Charleston’s method of mayoral election is different from other Lowcountry municipalities. It uses a plurality system, which means there are no runoffs. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on election day wins the seat. With so many potential candidates, it’s possible for the next mayor of North Charleston to win by receiving a relatively small portion of the vote.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Pendarvis said. “People really need to recognize that and get engaged — bring about the vision you want to see in North Charleston. Don’t let this race go by without you having a say, and that’s not just by casting a ballot.”
Every North Charleston City Council member is also up for reelection at the same time this November, and several of the council’s veteran members are expected to retire.
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