Politics 2025: Voters Choose New Mayors, Overwhelming Reject New Tax for Roads
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
November’s elections in Anderson County offered a reminder that, even in a year dominated by arguments over roads and growth, the quiet work of local government is still decided one small-town precinct at a time. From Pendleton’s mayor’s office to Pelzer’s town hall, voters endorsed a mix of continuity and change, while countywide ballot questions sent a clear message about how residents want that growth to be managed.
In Pendleton, Mayor Frank Crenshaw was turned out of office by challenger Sarah Stokowski, who won 565 of the 1,012 votes cast—a decisive margin in a town where campaigns still hinge on doorsteps and front porches. Stokowski, framing her victory as a mandate for “listening, collaboration, and responsible growth,” said she was eager to work with residents, businesses and staff to ensure Pendleton prospers without sacrificing the character that has made it a destination rather than a drive‑through. Recreation opportunities also were listed among reasons for choosing new leadership. Voters there also opted for stability on the council: incumbent Lyn Merchant held her Ward 1 seat over challenger Abigail B. Clark by 93 votes out of 1,019 cast, while newcomer Nancy Von Meyer captured the open Ward 3 seat.
Elsewhere, familiar names largely prevailed. In Belton, three incumbent council members—Joshua S. Hawkins in Ward 5, Mark Spence in Ward 1 and Russ Tysl in Ward 3—were all returned to office, a collective endorsement of the town’s current course. Honea Path voters likewise reelected incumbents A. Earle Ashley in Ward 1, Jason A. Peterson in Ward 3 and Molly Fisher in Ward 5, signaling comfort with the existing leadership as the town navigates development pressures of its own.
Change came more sharply in West Pelzer, where voters chose two new council members, Rick Sanders and Jeff Turner, over incumbents Johnny C. Rogers Sr. and Jeff Lee. Sanders led the field with 106 votes and Turner followed with 67, while Lee and Rogers drew 36 and 14, respectively—a result that reshapes the small town’s governing table heading into the next term.
Due to the surprise resignation of former West Pelzer Mayor Jim Riddle in late October, a special election will be held Jan. 20, with Councilman-Elect Rick Sanders as the only candidate on the ballot. A second special election will be held to fill Sanders’ council seat in the town.
Just down the road in Pelzer, residents selected a new mayor and a fresh slate of council members for a community still defining its post‑mill identity. Chase Smithwick won the mayor’s office with 157 votes to Harold Tennihill’s 23, succeeding Mayor Will Ragland, who did not seek reelection, and voters also chose Michael W. Shirley, Jason McElhannon, Donna Ide and Greg Pellum for town council seats.
On countywide questions, voters drew a hard line on how to pay for infrastructure. Early counts in the capital sales tax referendum for roads showed 5,527 “no” votes against 1,668 “yes,” a lopsided rejection of the proposed local option sales tax that county leaders had touted as a way to accelerate work on long‑neglected streets. After a similar referendum in 2024, which lost by a much narrower margin, voters made it clear this year they do not want to fund roads/bridges with a new one-cent tax.
At the same time, residents embraced a more surgical approach to planning: all three zoning referendums—covering the Shirley’s Store, Neal’s Creek and Rock Springs areas—passed easily, clearing the way for new zoning maps that will give those rural communities more say over future development.
Taken together, the results paint a picture of an electorate that is willing to swap out leaders in some corners of the county while keeping steady hands in others, skeptical of broad new taxes but open to targeted land‑use rules that promise more control over what gets built where. In a year defined by debates over roads, rooftops and who benefits from Anderson County’s rapid growth, November’s ballots offered one of the clearest statements yet of how local voters want to shape the next chapter.
