IRMO, S.C. — The towns of Irmo and Blythewood will have new mayors, as both incumbents lost their bids for re-election.
With all precincts reporting, numbers show Bill Danielson defeated Barry Walker in the Irmo Mayor's race while Sloane Griffin bested incumbent Bryan Franklin in the Blythewood Mayoral contest.
In Irmo, Walker was seeking his second term as mayor after first winning in 2019. He'd previously served on council since 2004. Danielson, a current town council member, had challenged Walker after first winning a seat in 2020. He'd said that he wanted to grow the community through supporting the community and continuing to update its comprehensive plan.
Danielson said as mayor, he also wants to increase the police presence, host monthly or quarterly informative town meetings, and strengthen education programs.
"My plan was never to become mayor, but after three and a half years of serving the citizens of the community and seeing the kinds of things that have been going on, and I just felt like it was time to step up," Danielson told News19.
In Blythewood, a key issue going into the race was the ongoing Scout Motors development in the area, a new electric vehicle maker that plans to bring 4,000 jobs to the region. Both candidates support the plant but expressed some concerns about the impact on growth and the environment. “SCOUT Motors, I believe will in the end, will be able to bring good things in, some good paying jobs that will enhance some families," Griffin told News19 before the election. "But I don’t work for SCOUT, I work for the people of Blythewood, and if those citizens have issues, it is my duty to make sure that they are fully getting those answers.”
Irmo and Blythewood mayors are elected to serve four-year terms. The seats, like all municipal races in South Carolina, are non-partisan, which means candidates do not have to declare a political party.