Horry County teacher Amanda Butler wins Conway runoff race for council seat
Horry County Schools special education teacher Amanda Butler won a runoff election on Tuesday for Conway City Council, according to city election results.
The results showed that Butler won 746 votes out of 1,260 cast in the local election. Julie Hardwick, also an Horry County teacher, lost the election with 514 votes. Butler will fill the last of three open seats on the Conway City Council in this year’s municipal elections. Beth Helms and William Goldfinch won the other two seats.
The three council members will take their oaths of office and serve in their first council meeting on Jan. 3, according to Conway spokesperson June Wood. City officials certified the results of the runoff election Wednesday afternoon.
Butler grew up in Conway and graduated from Conway High School, according to a biography of her on her campaign website. After high school, she earned a degree in sociology from Clemson University and got a master’s degree in teaching, with a concentration in learning disabilities, from Francis Marion University. Butler is also an ordained minister, and received a master’s degree in divinity from the Interdenominational Theology Center in Atlanta. She has a son, Michael.
Butler also lists herself as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority where she “advocates for education and community awareness.” She also hosts a weekly radio show called “Sound Off Radio” on Saturday mornings on 98.5 FM.
During her campaign, she ran on a platform of prioritizing diversity and inclusion, and said she would work to bring new businesses and higher-paying jobs to Conway. She also highlighted community safety and education issues, and said Conway needed more parks, walkways and community gardens.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 3:01 PM.
