Former South Carolina Congressman William Cogswell just made history by becoming the first Republican to win the mayoral seat in the city of Charleston since 1877. Man, that’s a long, long time of having a Democrat in charge of things. That’s pretty crazy. Guess if it can happen in Charleston, it’s possible to see members of the GOP take the position in other major cities across the country. Can you imagine how nutty it would be to see a Republican become mayor of Chicago. Perhaps we’d see some positive changes and a decrease in violence with proper economic policies put in place that will provide opportunities for folks who feel like they don’t have a chance in hell of making it on their own.
Anyway, according to a report from the Daily Caller:
In Tuesday’s runoff election between Cogswell and incumbent John Tecklenburg, unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission showed the former state representative claiming 51 percent of the vote, with Tecklenburg at roughly 48 percent. With 100 percent of the votes in, Cogswell claimed 13,930 out of 27,291, surpassing the amount to avoid a recount.
Around 8:45 p.m. Cogswell gave a victory speech at his watch party proclaiming he could “confidently” state that he is the next mayor of Charleston before cheers from the crowd erupted, according to The Post and Courier.
“Ladies and gentlemen we can confidently say that I’m going to be the next mayor,” Cogswell stated.“The people have spoken and we’re ready for a new direction. A new direction that’s smart, safe, and sound. A new direction that puts our citizens and residents first. And a new direction that puts labels aside so that we can find pragmatic solutions to our problems.”
BREAKING: Republican William Cogswell wins Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina.
This makes him the first Republican Mayor since 1877. pic.twitter.com/SAeewpprBH
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 22, 2023
Cogswell then said, “I am humbled by the results, no doubt. I am excited about the future of our city. And I have to say thank you…to all the supporters and all voters that are out there that have expressed their confidence in me. And I also want to say that if you didn’t vote for me, I hope to earn your trust and respect as your next mayor.”
Not long after Cogswell made his victory speech, Tecklenburg called him up on the phone to officially concede the election and promised to help him make the transition into the mayoral seat. Tecklenburg, who was campaigning for his third term in office, delivered his concession speech at 9 in the evening.
“Serving as your mayor these last eight years has really been the honor of my life,” Tecklenburg went on to say. “I’d like to ask each and every Charlestonian to give him your support because starting tonight when Mayor Cogswell succeeds, Charleston succeeds.”
That’s a fantastic attitude to have in defeat. Tecklenburg is being extremely gracious, which is something rare to see in politics today. However, his words are absolutely true. If Cogswell succeeds and helps improve things in the city, that’s good for everyone, regardless of their political party affiliation.
Cogswell is set to be sworn in on January 2024 to start his first term as mayor.