Toomer elected Bluffton’s next mayor. Incumbents re-elected to council
Bluffton’s Mayor Pro Tempore, Larry Toomer, is set to get a promotion in January after winning’s Tuesday’s mayoral election by a substantial vote margin of more than two-to-one.
Toomer was leading his opponent, political newcomer Joe Castagnino, throughout the evening. The final tally saw Toomer getting 3,047 votes to Castagnino’s 1,046 votes, or 73% to 25%, with a small handful of write-in ballots.
“I’m very humbled and thankful for the people of Bluffton to have enough confidence in me and trust in me to elect me as the next mayor,” Toomer said. “I thank God first, my family and all the people who took their time to go and vote.”
“I’m going to continue to be me and do the very best I can for our town and preserve our environment and make Bluffton a place where people move to and want to stay here forever,” he added.
Toomer, the owner of Bluffton Oyster Company and Toomer’s Seafood Restaurant, has been involved in Bluffton’s government since 2012 when he was elected to the town’s council.
Toomer will succeed longtime Mayor Lisa Sulka, who held the position since 2008. When she announced she would not be seeking another term, she endorsed Toomer.
Bluffton Town Council Results
For the Bluffton Town Council, voters decided to return the incumbents to their jobs.
Council members Dan Wood and Bridgette Frazier were both re-elected to a new four-year term, each gathering more than 28% of the 7,198 votes cast. This will be Dan Wood’s third term and Frazier’s second.
The two incumbents defeated challenges from Tim Wood who earned 1,849 votes for 25.6% and Bob Burger’s 1,141 votes or 15.8%.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 11:46 PM.
