Surfside Beach councilwoman ousted in runoff election

Surfside Beach voters ousted incumbent Councilwoman Mary Beth Mabry in a runoff election Tuesday.

Incumbent Councilmen Mark Johnson and Randle Stevens and Surfside Beach Board of Zoning Appeals Chairman Ron Ott secured enough votes to claim the three open terms expiring in 2020, according to unofficial results, set to be certified Thursday.

Ott led with 368 votes, followed by Johnson with 352 and Stevens with 297, edging out Mabry, who secured 265 votes.

Retired police officer and Surfside Beach Board of Zoning Appeals member Tim Courtney rose to victory in a runoff special election to fill the unexpired term left by the late Councilman Ralph Magliette. Courtney secured 387 votes compared to former Councilwoman Vicki Blair’s 170, according to the unofficial results. The term expires in May 2018.

Councilman Bob Childs was certified as the town’s incoming mayor on April 7, after beating Mayor Doug Samples in his bid for reelection.

Surfside Beach will need to conduct another election in August to fill Childs’ vacated council term, set to expire in 2018.

The terms of the new council members begin next month.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Surfside Beach councilwoman ousted in runoff election."