Three people vie for open Bluffton Town Council seat in February’s special election
Three candidates have filed to run for the Bluffton town council seat that will be vacated by Mayor-Elect Larry Toomer in a special election on Feb. 13. The winner of the election will finish out his term, which is set to end in 2026.
The three names on the ballot will be Bob Burger, who unsuccessfully ran for a town council seat in November, and two political newcomers, Emily Vaux Burden and Emily Mayer.
The winner of the special election will have the seat until 2026 and, if interested, would need to be elected again in 2025 to keep it.
Toomer’s term as mayor will begin on January 9, when he’s inaugurated at the first Town Council meeting of the year. The winner of the election to fill the open seat will be sworn in on March 12.
Between January 9 and March 12 the council will be one member short of it’s current makeup. This means two meetings at the beginning of the year will have only four members.
Despite the temporary loss of a member, 3 votes will remain the majority to have items move forward. However, in the case of a 2-2 tie vote, the item will fail.
Eleven days after the town council election, Beaufort county will hold the state Republican primary on Feb. 24
