MORNING HEADLINES | Charleston City Council member Caroline Parker, first elected in 2021 to represent the James Island area, on Wednesday said she wouldn’t run for re-election.
“Serving the people of James Island and the City of Charleston has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Parker said in a statement. “When I ran for office, it was because I cared deeply about the place where my husband and I are raising our children. I wanted to be a voice for my neighbors and ensure our city was an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. That commitment has never wavered.”
Two other James Island women — Leslie Skardon and Deanna Miller — have filed to run for the seat. Filing closes Monday at noon for the Nov. 4 election.
Parker, new to politics when elected four years ago, has had a somewhat contentious role on council, observers say, particularly during her first two years when John Tecklenburg was mayor.
Now she says she’s not running to serve again because of family priorities.
“My children are young, and these years are precious. They have been patient during the past four years, as I have gone from meeting to meeting and taken phone call after phone call. They need and deserve my full attention right now.”
According to a statement, she said she would continue to be an “active voice and volunteer in the city I am proud to call home.”
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