Berkeley County voters propel Cogswell to victory

Thanks to Daniel Island and Cainhoy area voters, William Cogswell edged incumbent John Tecklenburg to become the next mayor of Charleston in a runoff held Nov. 21. He will take office in January.

 

Cogswell, who won 62.65% of the Daniel Island and Cainhoy vote, will be the first Republican to be mayor since the end of the Reconstruction era.

 

Official results are in. Overall, 27,350 votes were cast in the runoff. Cogswell received 13,958 votes to Tecklenburg’s 13,392, a difference of 566 votes. This equates to Cogswell earning 51.03% of the vote to Tecklenburg’s 48.97%.

 

But the big difference in the race was Cogswell success in Berkeley County. Tecklenburg won a majority of the votes in Charleston County (50.32%) but Cogswell did significantly better in Berkeley County, winning every Berkeley County voter precinct (see sidebar).

 

Voter turnout in the runoff for Berkeley County was, 24.5%. Voter turnout in the runoff for Charleston County was 29.07%.

 

Although the race for mayor is nonpartisan, Cogswell served as a Republican in the South Carolina Statehouse of Representatives, 2016-2022. Tecklenburg identifies as a Democrat.