The top two-vote getters in the District 6 Spartanburg County Council Republican primary will square off in a runoff Tuesday.
Jessica Coker and Steve Wunder have been campaigning in the final days before voters choose who will face Democrat Lekesa Whitner in the March 23 special election.
The winner will be seated on county council to replace longtime Republican District 6 Councilman Roger Nutt, who was recently elected to serve as District 34 representative in the state General Assembly.
Whitner was the lone Democrat to file, thus there was no Democratic primary.
In the Republican primary Jan. 19, Coker received 313 votes, or 42.13%. Wunder got 216 votes, or 29.07%. Since neither received more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff was scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2.
The primary turnout was only 1.83%, with 744 votes cast out of 40,593 voters who could have voted, according to Elections Director Henry Laye.
The others running in the Republican primary were Michael Dawson, Karen Puckett and Robert Briggs.
Dawson finished third with 179 votes, or 24.09%; followed by Puckett with 20 votes, or 2.69%; and Briggs, 15 votes, or 2.02%.
Wunder has outraised Coker by a margin of $16,800 to $2,450, according to the most recent campaign disclosures filed with the S.C. Ethics Commission.
Wunder has received contributions of $500 or greater from Clyde A. Selleck of Greenville; John D. Montgomery of Spartanburg; LML Properties of Simpsonville; and L.A. Land LLC of Simpsonville.
Coker’s contributions of $500 or greater have come from Toby Chapman of Duncan; K.W. Ray of Duncan; SCACPA of Cayce, S.C.; and Cheryl Lang of Spartanburg.
Coker is a certified public accountant who lives in Roebuck. She said she has spent the last several days before Tuesday’s runoff sending out mailers and text messages and calling voters.
“I’m getting lots of good feedback,” she said. “People seem to be ready for new energy on county council, and diversity. We’re excited about those two things.”
Wunder, of Duncan, is a licensed commercial real estate broker with NAI Earle Furman in Spartanburg.
He said he also has been campaigning.
“At this point, it’s all about getting folks out to vote,” he said. “As I communicated in the forum, Jessica is a very smart person, capable in her career.
“The significant differentiator is because I’ve been involved in a lot of different entities, it’s given me the opportunity to understand each of the issues. I have the skill set that allows me to help and guide in a team effort to help identify team solutions.”
Wunder and his wife Susan have lived in Spartanburg County 26 years, raising two children in District 6.
]]>A runoff between Jessica Coker and Steve Wunder will be held Feb. 2 for the vacant District 6 seat on Spartanburg County Council, Elections Director Henry Laye said.
According to unofficial results, Coker and Wunder were top vote getters among the five Republican hopefuls in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Since neither received more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held in two weeks, according to Laye.
Turnout was less than 2%, or 733 votes out of 40,593 voters who could have voted.
The others running in the primary were Michael Dawson, Karen Puckett and Robert Briggs.
According to results, Coker received the most votes with 311, or 41.97%; Wunder was next with 216 votes, or 29.15%.
Dawson finished third with 179 votes, or 24.16%; followed by Puckett with 20 votes, or 2.7%; and Briggs, 15 votes, or 2.02%.
Coker is a certified public accountant who lives in Roebuck.
Wunder, of Duncan, is a licensed commercial real estate broker with NAI Earle Furman in Spartanburg.
More:Spartanburg County Council District 6 primary preview
There was no Democratic primary because Lekesa Whitner was the lone Democrat to file. She will face the winner of the Feb. 2 Republican primary runoff on March 23.
]]>I’m a conservative, political outsider, wife, mom, and local CPA who believes the people of our community should have a strong voice on County Council. We can’t keep electing the same politically-connected insiders and expect different results.
It’s easy to focus on politics outside of our county right now. Our hearts break for what happened in Washington this week. As a conservative, I believe that local government matters far more. It’s where real change happens the fastest.
Local government is also where elected officials are the most responsive. If elected, I’ll listen to our local citizens and put their concerns first.
Are you frustrated with our roads and over-development? How about the concerns of working people and small business owners? Do you think our education system is adequately serving our students?
These are all issues that I’m passionately talking about in my run for County Council. Our kids’ futures are too important to run on the same tired, old political slogans.
I feel called to serve the people of Spartanburg County. My husband and I were born and raised here, and we currently live in Roebuck with our 3-year-old son and newborn daughter. I love everything about Spartanburg County, but the people of District 6 make it a special place to call home.
I am a Dorman High School graduate and obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and a Masters of Professional Accountancy with a concentration in Taxation from Clemson University.
My mother and I are partners in the accounting firm Smith and Coker LLC, located in downtown Spartanburg. My faith and family are the most important things to me, but a close third is my clients.
As a local accountant, I work with many small businesses that have struggled the last year, and I have made it my mission to ensure everyone receives the help they need to get through this pandemic.
That level of commitment is what I show to my clients, and it’s what I’ll show the people of District Six, too. I’ll work with the County Council to make sure as much money is kept in your pockets as possible so we can build a better, stronger, and more secure future for the next generation.
As a small business owner myself, I know how important we are to employment and our economy. On County Council, I will always focus on supporting small businesses, their owners, and employees.
Massive investment from global companies has made Spartanburg County a hub for economic activity. Let’s bring more people and small businesses into the orbit of such companies by investing in workforce development and tech training. I know our local colleges and technical schools are ready and willing to help. Let’s put them to work!
As a mom, I lose sleep worrying about our education system. How can we do more to help kids grow and prosper? I believe County Council should work closely with Spartanburg County’s school districts to get all public schools to a top rating. Parents will rest easier knowing their child is obtaining the best education available, no matter where they have chosen to reside.
Speaking of, school locations should be in the best interests of kids and families, not those who benefit from new construction. Let’s also make sure proper roads, turn lanes, and crosswalks exist around new schools before opening the doors.
I’ve been a part of this community since I was a child and have been excited to see it grow. If elected to County Council, I will continue to work hard for our citizens to improve our county.
Thank you for your consideration and vote.
Jessica Coker is a CPA at Smith and Coker LLC. She is a candidate for Spartanburg County Council in District Six.
]]>Three men and three women are seeking to win a special election to fill Roger Nutt’s vacated District 6 seat on Spartanburg County Council.
Five of the hopefuls are Republicans, and one is Democrat.
The seat became vacant last month when Nutt resigned to be sworn into his state legislative seat. Nutt, a Republican, was unopposed in his election to fill the seat of outgoing District 34 Republican state Rep. Mike Forrester.
Filing for Nutt’s seat on county council are Republicans Steve Wunder, Michael Dawson, Jessica Coker, Robert Briggs, and Karen Puckett.
Lekesa Kesha Whitner was the lone Democrat to file, and thus will not be on the primary ballot. She will appear on the March 23 special election ballot, according to Spartanburg County Elections Director Henry Laye.
The primary will be held on Jan. 19. A runoff, if needed, will be on Feb. 2.
Laye said South Carolina has an open primary process, meaning “a voter may vote in a different party in the primary if there is no candidate for the party of their initial choice.
District 6 covers a large area west of Spartanburg and includes 38,310 voters in 25 precincts.
Three women file
Coker is among three women running. The last woman to serve on county council was Jane Hall, who lost a re-election bid in 2016 to Whitney Farr.
The Herald-Journal reached out to each candidate and asked them why they are running. Here are the answers of those who responded:
Coker is a certified public accountant who lives in Roebuck.
“Spartanburg County needs a CPA on council, and I truly feel called to serve my neighbors and my county,” she said. “As a conservative Republican, a mother, a small business owner, and a CPA helping small businesses in our area, I know how important economic growth and good jobs are to our economy. I know how to support our small business needs and how important access to quality education is to our workforce.”
Dawson, of Duncan, is a real estate professional.
“I am running to represent the families and businesses that live, work, and play in the same district I have called home for over 20 years,” he said. “I want to ensure we have the proper infrastructure in place to accommodate future new businesses all while making sure the funds are spent efficiently as possible.
“I also want to make sure that our public service providers have the tools and resources they need to keep our citizens safe.”
Whitner ran for mayor
Whitner, a Democrat from Spartanburg, ran for mayor of Spartanburg in 2017. She finished third in voting behind Mayor Junie White and challenger Todd Horne.
She has served on the boards of Forrester Center for Behavioral Health, Children and Choices and has worked with the Northside Development Group and the OneSpartanburg, Inc., vision plan advisory group.
She is currently support services manager at Northside Development Group and is an adjunct professor at Spartanburg Community College.
“I’m running for Spartanburg County Council because Spartanburg is in a different climate,” she said. “We are in a time when all voices need to be heard. Looking through the lens of equity and empathy, we must have the willingness to help all people.”
Puckett, of Moore, is a teaching assistant at Berry Shoals Intermediate School.
“The number one reason is that I want to transcend narrow interests for the greater good of the county,” she said. “My background as a retired reporter and editor with more than 25 years in the newspaper and magazine industry will help me achieve just that.
“As a journalist and now a teacher’s assistant, I have developed a unique perspective of what’s going on in Spartanburg County, particularly in District 6.”
Briggs resides in Moore and did not respond.
Wunder, of Duncan, is a licensed commercial real estate broker with NAI Earle Furman in Spartanburg.
“I am running in order to contribute to the solutions for challenges we as a county face with the continued successful growth in the county,” he said. “I have and continue to serve the community in different areas. This has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the needs of the community.
“I view this open seat on county council as a more direct avenue to serve, specifically to address the infrastructure needs of the growth in our county. This growth affects all aspects of the quality of life of the county from public utilities, public safety, and our school systems.”
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