West Pelzer to Choose New Council Member Tuesday

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

West Pelzer has put the special in a special election in 2026.

First an uncontested election for mayor, which was won by former Town Councilman Rick Sanders, and on Tuesday voters will choose who will fill the seat he vacated to become mayor.

Voters will choose between two candidates whose resumes reflect different paths of local service. Julia Clanton, an English teacher and girls’ basketball coach, and Jodie Southwood, a nurse with emergency-services experience, are running for the at-large West Pelzer Town Council.

For West Pelzer, the race is not only about filling a seat, but about deciding what kind of voice should help steer the town through its next chapter.

Clanton, and Southwood, each present herself as someone already immersed in the life of the community, though from different angles. Clanton points to her work in education and her desire to advocate for children, schools, and the town’s future, while Southwood emphasizes the practical authority that comes from years in health care, public safety, and emergency response.

The election will be held Tuesday at the West Pelzer Fire Department from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., where a relatively small number of voters may decide the tone of council deliberations for the remainder of the term. In a town this size, even a single seat can carry the weight of a larger argument about who gets to speak for the place—and what experience counts most when that place asks someone to lead.