Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Mayor Marcus Rivera (left) congratulates Councilman Ron Still on winning election as the City of Barnwell's next mayor after the Nov. 7 election.
Voters in the City of Barnwell elected a new mayor.
Mayor Marcus Rivera, who has been in office since 2019, was defeated in his re-election bid by District 1 city councilman Ron Still by 95 votes. Still received 608 votes while Rivera received 513.
“I feel honored to serve you as your mayor for the next four years,” said Still. “I assure the citizens of Barnwell and all elected officials of city council that I am ready and I am willing to work with each of you to move the City of Barnwell forward for all citizens.”
Rivera won the election day polls by 14 votes but lost early voting by 98 votes and absentee by 11. Though he came up a little short, “it wasn’t due to a lack of effort,” said Rivera, who congratulates Councilman Still on his victory.
“From this day forward, and I’ve done this in the past, I’ll continue to work in this community and I’ll work with him (Still) to make sure we better this community,” said Rivera.
Both men thanked God, their families, their campaign teams, and the voters for their support. Still also thanked Rivera for how he ran his campaign and the words of wisdom he shared after the results came in.
Of the 2,727 registered voters in the City of Barnwell, 1,124 actually cast ballots. That equals a 41.2 percent voter turnout.
“We’ve got to do a better job of getting registered voters out. Everybody’s voices need to be heard,” said Mayor Rivera, who also thanked his family, campaign committee and supporters. He said Still was able to get some voters out who hadn’t voted in a while.
With Still becoming mayor, this will leave his District 1 council seat open. A special election will be held next year.
Though only one man could win, both Rivera and Still agreed there is a lot of work to be done to move the city forward.
“Unity is the key to moving forward. First, our city council must show the willingness to work together for the betterment of our city. Then, we must work to unify our community by showing the citizens that we are willing to listen to them and work with them. It is essential for all voices to be represented in the decision-making process,” said Still.
In addition to a new mayor, the city is gaining two new council members and an incumbent:
• District 2: Incumbent Peggy Kinlaw won re-election with 163 votes. There were 25 write-in votes.
• District 4: Incumbent Jimbo Moody was defeated by Wanda L. Highsmith. Highsmith won with 90 votes while Moody received 63 votes.
• District 6: Incumbent Ryan Bragg was defeated by a close margin of 7 votes. He received 81 votes while Jana Black Myers had 88 votes.
Mayor-elect Still said he is ready to work with the newly-elected council members and hear their ideas and suggestions.
“Each of us must be open-minded and willing to listen to different points of view. I'm confident we are going to do a great job in continuing to help our city grow,” he said.
Still said he encourages council members to “get to know the concerns of your constituents and ensure their voices are heard in council chambers.”
The mayor-elect encourages every citizen of the City of Barnwell to be involved.
“It is essential that council engages the community by providing transparency in government and soliciting feedback regarding the decisions that directly impact the citizens of Barnwell. The role of mayor and council is to act as advocates for the citizens and to promote growth and development,” said Still.
The new mayor and council members will take office in January 2024.
