Yemassee’s getting new council members in next week’s election. Meet the 6 candidates
As six residents campaign for two open spots on the Yemassee Town Council, it’s clear that after Tuesday, half of the council will be first-timers.
The two incumbents did not file for reelection. Councilmember Charlie Simmons was arrested twice during his term (for DUI and a felony assault charge); Councilmember Michelle Hagan rarely attended the once-a-month council meetings.
All six vying to replace them said attending meetings would be a priority. None of the six has an arrest record in South Carolina, according to S.C. Law Enforcement criminal background checks.
The two who will be elected Tuesday will be sworn into office in November and serve on the five-member council alongside Mayor Pro Tem Peggy Bing-O’Banner, councilman Alfred Washington and Mayor Colin Moore, who is running unopposed Tuesday for his second term.
What about Yemassee?
Yemassee, a rural town in Beaufort and Hampton counties, is known for the annual Shrimp Festival and an iconic train depot where Marine recruits headed for boot camp at Parris Island for decades.
It’s one of 16 municipalities in South Carolina split between multiple counties, although a majority of residents live in Hampton County, where its town hall, police department, fire department, and other town offices also reside.
The Town of Yemassee has a population of 1,080, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, with 58.79% of residents identifying as Black, 36.29% identifying as white, and 53 remaining residents identifying as another race. Census data previously estimated nearly one-third of residents lived below the poverty line.
The most recent Census data release doesn’t reflect residents and land annexed into the town since April 2020, so the town population is likely closer to 1,200.
The Hampton County side of Yemassee has 1,164 registered voters, according to data from the state Election Commission. The Beaufort County data does not list a Yemassee precinct but has a collective 2,045 registered voters in its Sheldon 1 and Sheldon 2 precincts, which includes both residents of Yemassee and unincorporated Beaufort.
This is the first election with more than one polling place. In the past, all Yemassee residents have cast in-person ballots at town hall, regardless of which county they lived in. On Tuesday, Hampton County residents will vote at town hall, while residents of Beaufort County will vote in either Sheldon 1 or Sheldon 2 precincts.
Who are the candidates?
Six candidates are on Tuesday’s ballot: Trena Ellis, Natasha N. Green, Robert “Bobby” Moore, David Paul Murray, Stacy Pinckney and Darrell Russell. Voters can choose two.
Three of the candidates unsuccessfully ran for town council in 2019. Moore and Russell were listed on the ballot, while Murray ran as a write-in candidate.
Trena Ellis
Ellis, 50, is a medically retired U.S. Army veteran originally from Spartanburg. She moved to Yemassee in 1995 and raised her three children there. She has a background in social work and does “a lot of caregiving and volunteering” through organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and her church, she said.
Ellis said her main focus would be the youth in the community — ensuring they have safe places to go and constructive things to do. She said she’d also like to bring more industry into Yemassee while also “utilizing” what’s already established.
“I’m not saying I have the skills to do everything, but I’m a researcher at heart,” she said, describing herself as technical, someone who gets “down to the ins and outs of things” and is hands on.
Natasha N. Green
Green, 31, is a lieutenant at the fire stations in Yemassee and in Hampton County. She’s been a firefighter for more than three years and became certified as an EMT in May. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, her family moved to Varnville when she was 8. She moved to Columbia after high school but returned to the area a few years ago.
Green said her biggest priority would be to ensure residents are informed about town council’s discussions before voting on any issue. Her campaign slogan is “Informed decisions. Actionable Responses. Measurable results.”
“I wanted to come back and make a difference and put action behind what the people in the town want,” she said, adding that she’s attended most town council meetings since moving back.
Robert “Bobby” Moore
Moore, 61, a native of Yemassee, said he has been in the area “on and off” his whole life, and moved from Jacksonville, Florida, in 2018. Before retiring about five years ago, he worked for CSX.
Moore said his priority would be to continue growing the town by attracting new businesses. He wants to address Hampton County’s high taxes to make Yemassee more attractive for people and businesses.
“I have good communication skills, and people like to talk to you and have someone who will listen,” he said. “Yemassee is probably going to grow more, and I want to be a part of that.”
David Paul Murray
Murray, 33, has been in the area all his life but has lived in town the past six years. He’s worked full time for his family’s home-repair business for the past 16 years, using his carpentry and landscaping skills. He also owns his own photography business.
Murray said one of his biggest priorities would be bringing new businesses into town, including a grocery store. He also said beautifying the town and making an effort to communicate with citizens are important. He proposes to create a town newsletter.
“I’m going to be honest and be a listening ear,” he said. “I feel like people get elected and don’t listen. I want to change that.”
Stacy Pinckney
Pinckney, 53, has lived in Yemassee the past 15 years after growing up in Walterboro and living in the Beaufort and Port Royal areas. She’s an office assistant for a florist in Walterboro but has always worked in administration, including 10 years in a school system.
She said the beautification of Yemassee was her main priority, making the town appealing to people passing through. She also wants to “find things to do” with the youth and the elderly and bring more businesses into town.
“If we’re all on one accord, we’re powerful together,” she said. “We could be the dream team that could change Yemassee. A good council would be powerful, and that’s where my heart is.”
Darrell Russell
Russell, 58, is medically retired from the U.S. Marine Corps. Originally from Ohio, he moved to Yemassee in 2013 when his wife took a teaching job. He’s an active volunteer with his church and with Hampton County Toys for Tots. He is also Hampton County’s representative to the Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority.
Russell would push to keep “tax stability,” attract businesses and factories to the area, upgrade or improve infrastructure, and emphasize community involvement and education.
“I’m the type of candidate that I would want to elect,” he said. “People that get to know me really start to see that I investigate things and I get to the bottom line of things. ... It’s not about me being right, it’s about doing the right thing.”
