Hamilton, Toomer win Bluffton Town Council election. Here’s what the results showed
Longtime Bluffton Town Council members Fred Hamilton and Larry Toomer will return to the council for another term after the two beat political newcomer Nathan Ferrell in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial results.
After being sworn in in January, Hamilton and Toomer will serve on the five-person council alongside Mayor Lisa Sulka and council members Bridgette Frazier and Dan Wood.
Toomer, who received 43% of the vote, is a Bluffton native who has served on council since 2012. He wanted to run for re-election to make sure the town completes its ongoing sewer projects — an effort to move all Bluffton homes away from septic tanks, he previously told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
In a phone call with a reporter Tuesday night, Toomer said he was “totally humbled and honored” and that he considers Bluffton residents to be his family.
“I think I’ll just continue to be me and hopefully it’ll work out, and I can continue to have the trust of the people of Bluffton,” he said.
Hamilton, also a Bluffton native, received 33% of the vote. He ran on a platform that touted his work with numerous civic groups in the area. He said the biggest issue facing Bluffton is its rapid growth and development boom.
Called late Tuesday night, Hamilton said he was “glad it’s over.”
“I just want to make sure to thank my voters and, to those who didn’t vote for me, I want them to know I still represent their views,” he said.
Ferrell, the political newcomer, received 22.75% of the vote — just 497 votes shy of Hamilton. Ferrell said he wanted to run to curtail what he saw as a high volume of officers leaving the Bluffton Police Department.
In total, 4,845 ballots were cast among the 21,410 registered voters in Bluffton — a 22.6% turnout, according to the unofficial results.
Tuesday’s election comes as the town of Bluffton is still grappling with explosive population growth.
New census data released this year shows that the town grew 121.2% from 2010 to 2020. The town also experienced a building boom during the pandemic. As of this summer, Bluffton was on track to approve over 1,000 new homes this year while environmental groups worry about the health of the May River.
TOWN COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS:
Larry Toomer - 2,110 votes (43.55%)
Fred Hamilton - 1,599 votes (33%)
Nathan Ferrell - 1,102 votes (22.75%)
