2 Sumter County Council members will keep their seats, Gardner-Greene will succeed Baten

Sumter County Council will have two returning council members and a new member who will take the seat of a longtime councilman who didn't run for reelection.

Democrat Carlton Washington won reelection to the District 1 seat for Sumter County Council in the Tuesday, Nov. 5, general election.

He earned 66.88% of the vote, or 3,849 votes, over Republican opponent Angus McDuffie, who got 33.03%, or 1,901 votes. There were five write-in votes.

Democrat Vivian Fleming-McGhaney also secured another term on council and will be the District 5 representative for Sumter County Council.

She earned 61.11% of the vote, or 3,730 votes, over Republican opponent Shery White, who got 38.81%, or 2,369 votes. There were five write-in votes.

"I do want to thank my constituents for the trust that they've placed upon me, and I do feel like it was just a lot of people, regardless of party affiliation or whatever they are, they are trusting me to represent them on that county council, and I'm willing to do that to be vigilant and to see the need of all the people and to always know what their concerns are because absolutely indeed, whatever their concerns are, they are also my concerns, then I'll look beyond that and just see what the needs are. I just give all my praises and glory to God, who is the one who appointed me to be a servant to his people," Fleming-McGhaney told The Sumter Item on Tuesday night.

Democrat Tasha Gardner-Greene will succeed Councilman Eugene Baten, a Democrat who did not run for reelection, as the District 7 representative for Sumter County Council.

She earned 59.31% of the vote, or 3,251 votes, over Republican opponent Michael Leviner, who got 40.63%, or 2,227 votes. There were three write-in votes.

"I would like for us now to move forward from tonight to build a better Sumter working together with all of District 7," Gardner-Greene said. "Those that voted for me and those that didn't, now we can come together and do the work to make the changes that we need here in Sumter. I would also like to tell Michael [Leviner] he ran a good race and that I'm looking forward to meeting with him and even his constituents so that we can all sit together to make a better District 7 in Sumter."