South Carolina voters favor incumbents in local elections

Marilyn Hatley, mayor of North Myrtle Beach for 20 years, had a different re-election challenge this month than Brenda Bethune, finishing her first term as mayor of Myrtle Beach. Hatley had one challenger. Bethune had four, including one with a connection to former President Trump.

The two incumbents both handily won, Hatley to a sixth term, and Bethune to a second, by comfortable margins illustrating how much voters generally value experience of incumbents.

An incumbent in elective office is difficult to beat, especially when she or he is viewed as having done a decent job – and not having created electability problems by personal behavior or unpopular policies.

INCUMBENTS WIN

The power of incumbency long has been a fact of U.S. politics, seen in the re-election of U.S. senators and representatives, state legislators and other elective officials. The re-elections of Hatley and Bethune illustrate the continuing advantage of holding the elective office over running as a challenger.

Nevertheless, four opponents can make outright election problematic. As Bethune told reporters following her victory, “I really was expecting a run-off, especially with five people running. That’s just a lot of votes to split up.”

Bethune need not have worried.

She received 56% of the vote; the other four candidates combined had 44%. Photographer Gene Ho and businessman Bill McClure effectively split 39% of the total vote. The other two, former police officer Tammie Durrant and former firefighter C.D. Rozsa, received only 3% and 1%, respectively.

TIES TO TRUMP

Ho was a campaign photographer for Trump and wrote a book about that experience. In his mayoral campaign, Ho promoted his ties to Trump and others such as MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Bethune’s margin of victory shows Trump ties don’t necessarily eual votes, even in a decidedly pro-Trump area.

Bethune campaign manager Walter Whetsell said, “I think there is a message there. That nationalizing a local message with a Trump component didn’t work. It was a real failure. There are definitely lessons to be learned and to be applied.”

That lesson might come into play in upcoming races such as U.S. Rep. Tom Rice’s 2022 Republican primary election. Rice largely voted with Trump, but voted to impeach him because of his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS

Whetsell also noted that the Bethune campaign “took everyone seriously.” Dale Shoemaker of The Sun News wrote that the Bethune campaign had mail and television advertising, “as well as knocking on doors and speaking at events and to local reporters.”

By contrast, Ho refused to talk to reporters. He also had a potential residency problem with “another home” not in the city as well as a listed address in Myrtle Beach.

In North Myrtle Beach, the veteran incumbent, Hatley, won her sixth term by a margin of more than 2,000 votes. The only other candidate was Wayne Troutman, a relative newcomer to the city.

In both cities, incumbency had its privileges.