Abbeville County voters went to the polls yesterday for a variety of races, and the local winners included Jason Edwards, Lisa Alewine, Brad Evans, Tim Rhodes, and Christine Long, according to unofficial vote totals provided by the Abbeville County voter registration office.
A number of local races were on the ballot, including one County Council race, and nonpartisan school board and Abbeville City Council races.
In Abbeville County Council District Two, Democrat Christine Long and Republican Bebe Wesson were vying for a seat long held by John Calhoun, who had opted not to run for reelection.
Long defeated Wesson by a margin of 598 votes to 458 for Wesson.
In Abbeville County School District Area Six, incumbent Brad Evans faced challenger Erin Gambrell, and Evans won, by a margin of 616 votes to 443 for Gambrell.
In Area One, Tracy Lindler challenged incumbent Tim Rhodes, and Rhodes won, by a margin of 324 votes to 289 for Lindler.
In Area Nine, Lisa Alewine and Bryan Glace battled for the seat which had been held by Marvin Peoples, who had opted not to run for reelection.
Alewine prevailed, with 666 votes to 274 for Glace.
In Abbeville City Council District Four, Deanna Ashley, Venture Belton challenged incumbent Chris Crawford.
Ashley received 66 votes, Belton 55, and Crawford 62, and there will be a runoff election, at a date to be announced.
In City Council District Six, incumbent Jason Edwards faced challengers Jon E. Porter and Jason Walker.
Edwards prevailed, with 112 votes, while Porter received 13, and Jason Walker 46.
According to Abbeville County voter registration director Randy Curtis, 2,670 registered voters in Abbeville County--16.7 percent--participated in early voting.
The elections were part of the vast package of elections that include ‘midterm battles for both houses of Congress.
The Republicans were trying to wrest control of both the US House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate from the Democrats, whose control of both chambers was razor-thin.
Here in South Carolina, incumbent Republican Governor Henry McMaster was fighting off a challenge from Democrat Joe Cunningham.
McMaster was projected early in the evening to win reelection, and so was U.S. Senator Tim Scott, according to WYFF-TV.
In Abbeville County, McMaster received 6,003 votes, to 2,497 for Cunningham.
A number of candidates were running unopposed, such as State Representative Craig Gagnon, a Republican who represents House District 11 in the General Assembly.
Voter turnout in Abbeville County came to about 54 percent, with 8,658 voters turning out to cast ballots, according to unofficial totals.