Beaufort’s race for mayor has two candidates so far. You’ll probably recognize them
Two familiar faces filed to run for Beaufort mayor Friday in hopes of replacing Stephen Murray, who resigned in September.
The first day for candidates to file was Friday but the filing period does not close until Oct. 16 so additional candidates may join the race for the city’s top elected post.
The Dec. 12 special election for mayor comes as the city wrestles with historic preservation and development issues and the civility of debate.
Here’s who filed on Friday:
▪ Phil Cromer, a two-term councilman, who left the job in December after deciding not to run again. Cromer, who retired in 2014, was a risk management consultant for the Municipal Association of South Carolina, for 23 years. He also was the town manager for Port Royal and Ridgeland’s administrator.
▪ Former Councilman Mike Sutton, the owner of Sutton Construction, a historic restoration company in Beaufort. Sutton served on the City Council from 2006-2014. Sutton ran for mayor in 2020, losing to Murray.
Murray surprised the community when he resigned Sept. 15 with 15 months remaining in his term that runs through 2024, saying he was tired of uncivil attacks, “he said, she said” middle school drama and the toll the mayor’s job and public attacks had at the expense of his health, family, friends, businesses and reputation.
His departure came as fissures between development and preservationist escalated. The flashpoint was a decision by the City Council to remove a dedicated seat for the Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF), a historic preservation group, on the city’s Historic District Review Board (HDRB).
The Dec. 12 election will decide who finishes the final year of Murrya’s term.
