Fate of Disputed Anderson City Council Seat Headed to S.C. Supreme Court

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Tonya Winbush has asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to expedite her appeal in Anderson’s Seat 5 election fight, a case that has displayed an array of civic dramas in which residency, procedure, and political fate all seem to occupy the same cramped room.

Winbush maintains she won the April 7 election over Darryl Thompson, the son of retired longtime Councilwoman Beatrice Thompson, by a roughly two to one margin, only to see the Anderson Municipal Election Commission later undo the result after a residency challenge. Two days after the election, in response to a challenge by Darryl Thompson, the commission decided on April 17 that Winbush had not abandoned her residence at 741 Kings Road and invalidated her election, relying on a paper trail that included a deed, county auditor records, vehicle registrations, utility records, and a driver’s license address, while Winbush pointed to a lease and water-service application tied to 309 Morris Lane in Seat 5.

After a period of waiting, the circuit court held a hearing and then affirmed the commission in a brief July 7 order. In response, Winbush filed a notice of appeal to the S.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday, and in asking to expedite the case, her attorney, Chris Kenney, argued that Seat 5 has been left without representation and asked the court for a fast briefing schedule similar to one used in an earlier election.

The motion casts the case as more than a contest over one council seat; it is also raises the question of how long the voters of Seat 5 will remain in limbo while the courts sort out the matter. Currently, there are eight members of city council with the Seat 5 vacant.

Winbush’s filing asks the Supreme Court to either restore her victory or order a new election, while Kenney says he is hopeful the court will move quickly, given its history of expediting election matters.

This story is developing…