Rivals in mayor’s race nearing the finish line

By Bobby Bryant, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net

At the intersection of Spring Street and Smith Avenue, across from Darlington High School, a small crop of signs has sprung up.

Mayor Gloria Hines

One supports Mayor Gloria Hines as she seeks a second term. One supports businessman Curtis Boyd as he seeks to unseat her. One supports City Council member Carolyn Bruce as she goes for the mayor’s job.

And one announces a pancake supper at Trinity United Methodist Church, but that’s neither here nor there. At that intersection, someone supports all three of the candidates running in the Darlington mayoral election next week.

On Nov. 5, voters will be asked to choose one of those candidates to be the city’s mayor for the next four years. Also up for city voters: Picking three at-large council members.

There are also council elections for Hartsville, Lamar and Society Hill, but no countywide elections or referendums are on the ballot.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting will be done on new ExpressVote machines, which produce a paper ballot.

Curtis Boyd

Hines, a cosmetologist who has been on City Council for some 20 years, officially announced she would be running for a second term as mayor in March. Elected to her first term by a tiny margin four years ago, Hines became the city’s first black and first female mayor.

Boyd owns Fitness World gyms, which now have 15,000 members in eight cities and 60 employees. He officially announced in April that he would run for mayor.

Bruce, a career specialist for the Darlington County School District, also serves as the city’s mayor pro tem. She announced in March that she would challenge Hines for mayor. Bruce also is on the ballot for re-election to her City Council seat.

In the races for the at-large seats on Darlington City Council, there are three incumbents and three newcomers.

The incumbents are attorney John Milling, businessman Bryant Gardner and Bruce.

The newcomers are Ernest Boston Sr., who works in parts, service and sales for Generation 3 Powersports; Winfred Herrington Sr., a retired social worker and counselor; and Howard J. Nettles, director of community outreach and marketing for Genesis Health Care.

Voters can cast a ballot for up to three of those candidates, says Darlington County elections director Hoyt Campbell.

In addition to the Darlington city races, three other municipalities in the county are holding elections Nov. 5:

CITY OF HARTSVILLE: Three district seats on City Council are on the ballot, but all candidates are unopposed. In council District 2, the sole candidate is Bryson Sparks Caldwell. In council District 4, the sole candidate is incumbent councilman Johnny Andrews. In council District 6, the sole candidate is incumbent Bobby McGee.

TOWN OF LAMAR: Four candidates are running for two at-large seats on Town Council. They are incumbent Inez Bess Lee, Danielle Todd-Wilkes, incumbent Angele White-Bradley and Nat Williams.

TOWN OF SOCIETY HILL: Four candidates are running for two at-large seats on Town Council. They are incumbent Deborah Harrell, Chuck Baker, Melissa Burch and Scott Dixon.

View our interview with Curtis Boyd here.

View our interview with Carolyan Bruce here.

View our interview iwth Gloria Hines here.

Author: Stephan Drew

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