CHARLESTON — Filing for those interested in running for City Council begins Aug. 4 at noon, and half of the district seats are up for grabs.
Charleston’s 13-member governing body is compromised of the mayor, who is not up for re-election until 2028, and 12 district representatives, half of whom could appear on the ballot come Nov. 4.
As of Aug. 1, only one incumbent and three challengers have announced plans to file.
The races are nonpartisan. Interested candidates must be a registered voter living in the district for which they file and pay a $150 fee. The filing period ends at noon on Aug. 18.
These seats are on the ballot:
District 2 is located in West Ashley, bounded roughly by Savannah Highway to the south, Bees Ferry Road to the west, Ashley Hall Plantation Road and Interstate 526 to the east, and the Ashley River to the north.
Currently, the district is represented by Councilman Kevin Shealy, who has not yet indicated if he plans to run for re-election.
District 4 is located on the Charleston peninsula encompassing the Neck Area and most of the East Side.
Councilman Robert Mitchell, the longest-serving member and current mayor pro tem, is the incumbent. He filed for re-election on Aug. 4.
Challenger Aaron Polkey announced his candidacy July 24. Polkey is the president and CEO of Palmetto Project, a longstanding nonprofit that embraces public-private partnerships to improve access to health care, schools and voting across the state.
District 6 covers the West Side of the peninsula from Calhoun to Mount Pleasant streets.
Incumbent Councilman William Dudley Gregorie has served since 2009, and has indicated on social media that he intends to run for another term. He filed for re-election on Aug. 4.
District 8 stretches along the lower peninsula south of Calhoun Street and across the Cooper River to the eastern edge of Daniel Island.
Councilman Mike Seekings currently represents the area, and on Aug. 4, he announced he would be seeking a fifth term.
District 10 is located in outer West Ashley covering most everything west of Bees Ferry Road.
Councilman Stephen Bowden announced July 22 he plans to seek a second term. The attorney lives in the Shadowmoss neighborhood with his wife and two young children, whom he says “has deepened his commitment to building a more livable, resilient Charleston.”
District 12 is located on James Island and is currently represented by Councilwoman Caroline Parker.
If she runs for another term, she faces two opponents who have already announced their bids: DeAnna Miller and Leslie Skardon.
Miller is a marketing and media professional who volunteers at several schools on the island and with several sports programs.
Skardon is the CEO of Sustain SC, a statewide environmental sustainability nonprofit, and currently serves on the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission and the city’s Commission on Women.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
