Incumbent secures Republican nomination for Bluffton seat on county council
Incumbent candidate Mark Lawson has secured his nomination as the Republican candidate for District 9, according to preliminary data from the South Carolina Election Commission.
Lawson, a Bluffton resident, has served on the county council since 2019. He represents Palmetto Bluff, Old Town Bluffton and other areas on Beaufort County south of S.C. 46.
Lawson defeated challenger Beth Gillespie 63% to 37%.
In the November general election, voters will choose between Lawson and Democratic candidate Jannine Mutterer.
Who is Lawson?
In a previous Q&A with The Island Packet, Lawson vowed to protect Beaufort County from overdevelopment and ecosystem damage as well as promote transparency and accountability.
Hardeeville’s rapid growth spurt is going to be one of the county’s biggest challenges in the coming year, Lawson said. He urged voters to vote yes on the transportation tax on the ballot this fall so that the county has money to fix roads and infrastructure.
On Pine Island, Lawson said he would be against any changes to the island’s cultural protective ordinance that would allow golf courses. The ordinance has been in place since 1999 as part of efforts to preserve Gullah Geechee culture and land, but a recent lawsuit challenges its constitutionality, arguing it favors one race “at the inherent expense of others.”
“I believe in property rights, but I also believe in honoring what a community has put in place to protect itself,” Lawson said.
Lawson was one of many primary candidates attacked by a slew of political mailers and Facebook ads from a mysterious Super PAC that has yet to reveal its donors. On social media, Lawson disavowed the ad, “calling them dirty political attack ads” and that he has “always vowed to run a clean campaign focused on real issues and real results.”
Gillespie, who was supported by the ad, said ahead of the primary that said she knew nothing about the PAC that has been running ads using her name.
Where is District 9?
District 9 is one of three several seats that represent the Bluffton/Okatie areas on the Beaufort County Council.
Residents of Palmetto Bluff, Old Town Bluffton, and New Riverside are represented by District 9, as well as Daufuskie Island residents.
Moss Creek, Rose Hill, Belfair and The Crescent are represented by District 8; Hampton Lake, Hampton Hall, and Buckwalter areas are primarily represented by District 7; Sun City is broken up between Districts 6 & 5; and Oldfield, Berkeley Hall, Spring Island and Callawassie Island are represented by District 5.
