Bethune, Rhodes go to runoff in Myrtle Beach mayoral race

Incumbent Mayor John Rhodes and challenger Brenda Bethune will go to a runoff in two weeks to pick Myrtle Beach’s next mayor.

Bethune and Rhodes, the two top vote-getters Tuesday, did not break the 50-percent mark. Bethune won about 40 percent of the vote and Rhodes about 29 percent.

Rhodes and Bethune ran against former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, Ed Carey and C.D. Rozsa.

Voters will return to the polls on Nov. 21 to pick the next mayor of Myrtle Beach.

“I would love to be in the lead but the thing is that we knew it would end up being a runoff,” Rhodes said. “When you’ve got this many people running there’s, it’s basically impossible. Basically it’s impossibly to win on the first round. I mean it really is.

“I have a good opponent and I look forward to that challenge. We’re going to start right away campaigning for the 21st. We’ll work hard for it and hopefully the outcome will be in my favor,” he said.

The two candidates present a distinct choice for voters considering the top policy issues that have sparked debate during the election season.

On policing, Rhodes plans to push for the public safety plan proposed by Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock, which calls for bringing 70 new officers to the area over the next seven years.

For public safety, Bethune said she wants to add more officers to the police department, but until there are enough qualified candidates she wants to use hospitality officers to help stop crime in the city.

For the Superblock properties, Rhodes originally planned to build a children’s museum and library in the downtown area. However, Rhodes recently said he is not sure what will be placed in the area, and that a children’s museum and library are just options.

Bethune believes that the downtown area need to be the “heartbeat” of Myrtle Beach. She argues for closing Main Street to vehicles, and creating a green space that will attract new businesses.

Going forward, Rhodes said he plans to “state the facts and numbers. There’s not going to be any fabrication from this point on.”

At an after party at RipTydz in downtown Myrtle Beach supporters gathered to celebrate Rhodes and the next step in the election.

“He was instrumental,” Market Common resident Richard Berg said. “He went to Columbia and got that tourism tax approved. He’s done a lot of good with the parks, specifically with his baby, Savannah’s Playground. That’s unbelievable.”

“I’m not suggesting Brenda won’t have the same thing, but I think she’s very capable too. I think she’s run a really good, I really appreciate her campaign because there was no negative campaigning. We wish her well. It’s not over yet,” he said.

‘This is a victory’

Bethune's day started at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday as she awoke ready and "excited" to head to her first polling site.

This was her first election and she was running for the highest seat on city council.

She said she made it to all 13 locations before the polls closed at 7 p.m.

An hour later, a crowd inside Bummz Beach Cafe erupted in cheers and loud applause as the last polling numbers showed she had secured the lead in votes.

"I'm overwhelmed, humbled and a little numb," she said after the early returns were in. "I've never done this before so I really didn't know what feelings to expect."

Bethune says she is looking forward to a runoff with incumbent mayor John Rhodes for the mayoral seat.

"This is a victory," she said. "To even be in a runoff is a victory."

But her first election hasn't been easy.

"My commitment all along was to run a clean, positive campaign," she said. "At least I can look at my family and look at myself and look at the community and say you can run for office and you don't have to get in the mud with other people."

Some campaigns on social media heated up with accusations, a spoof video and calls for the current mayor to step down from office. Bethune said she tried to stay away from smear tactics.

"I think a lot of times the reason good people don't run for office is because of the ugliness that's attached to it and that's sad," Bethune said. "If I made a difference and an impact on people because of the way we ran this campaign, that's a legacy."

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Bethune, Rhodes go to runoff in Myrtle Beach mayoral race."