First Candidates File for City of Darlington Elections
Darlington City Council member Jimmy Cooper declared his candidacy for Mayor.
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The election filing period for the City of Darlington opened at noon on Aug. 21, and before an hour passed two candidates had already paid their fees and officially thrown their hats into the ring.
Darlington City Council member James M. “Jimmy” Cooper was the first to file as a candidate for Mayor. Cooper, an At-Large Councilman since 2011, owns and operates Cooper’s Barbershop of Darlington.
The city’s current Mayor, Tony Watkins, announced in June that he would not seek a fourth term.
Darlington Citizen Beatrice Wilson was the first to formally declare her candidacy for one of three At-Large City Council seats up for grabs. Wilson waged an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor in 2007.
Citizen Beatrice Wilson was the first to file as a candidate for Darlington City Council.
By the end of the day, William Jackson, Gloria C. Hines, and J.C. Stone, Jr. had also filed for Mayor. Carolyn Bruce, Diane Sigmon, Shelia Baccus, and John Wallace also filed for City Council.
Filing fees are $35 for City Council and $100 for Mayor. Candidates must pay their fees and finish all filing paperwork by the close of business on September 4.
