Bluffton council ballot set with two returners, no challengers
Voters will not see any new names when they head to the polls for the upcoming Bluffton Town Council on Nov. 4 — the two open seats are being sought only by incumbents who already have a seat on the four-person council.
The candidates’ statement of intent to run were filed with the state’s election commission before the Sept. 8 deadline.
Emily Vaux Burden, who won a special election from 2024 in a landslide, is running for her first full-length term. She filled the seat left empty when Larry Toomer assumed the role as the town’s mayor.
Fred Hamilton, who has served on the council since 2005, with the exception of two years, is also once again running for his seat.
Initially, a third candidate, who does not currently serve on the council, threw his hat in the ring for one of the two spots. The candidate, Robert Dress, withdrew his intent to run just 11 days after filing. This means that the two returning candidates will go unchallenged in the election.
The town council includes a mayor and four council members who serve overlapping four-year terms. The council members serve at-large, meaning they do not represent specific districts. Residents can vote on a candidate for each seat, not just for the candidate in their direct community.
Beginning in 2026, according to the town, council members will receive a $17,000 paycheck each year.
The council has focused their efforts on managing growth and development issues, land use and solving for the affordable housing shortages that plague the county as a whole.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM.
