BY JESSICA JOHNSON
The Post and Courier
Local News
Awendaw mayor loses close race
Posted:
11/04/2009 1:59 AM
AWENDAW -- Concerns that growth might change the character of their rural town caused voters Tuesday to oust the only mayor they've ever had in a race decided by a handful of votes, according to unofficial returns.
Mayor William H. Alston, 74, was unseated by Councilman Samuel N. Robinson, 67, a retired social worker who received 51.6 percent of the vote.
"People want change. People want leadership. I can offer that," Robinson said, adding that he was hesitant to declare victory because of the close vote tally.
Alston, who has served as the town's mayor since its 1992 incorporation, said he planned to continue to work for the town and would offer Robinson any assistance he needed.
"This is our community," Alston said, adding that running the town is not as easy as it might appear.
Supporters on both sides said they rallied around their candidates based on their feelings about how Awendaw, a small community sandwiched between the Francis Marion National Forest and the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, should grow.
© All copyright 2009 the Evening Post Publishing Co.
