Washington ousts Sumpter for Sumter County Council seat

Sumter County Council 1 will have a new representative taking over District 1 after Carl Washington won the runoff against Councilman Chris Sumpter on Tuesday.

The first-time candidate received the most votes in the Democratic primary held on June 9, and he received the most votes again in the runoff with 59.28%, or 671 votes, while Sumpter received 40.72%, or 461 votes, according to the S.C. Election Commission. Results will be certified later this week by the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office.

Washington faces no Republican opposition in November. Sumpter held the seat since the 2016 election, when he was elected to his first four-year term.

"I have been blessed with some amazing opportunities in my life, and one of them was serving the citizens of District 1 while being the youngest in Sumter's history to get elected at the age of 23. My voting record reflects progressive, fiscal conservative practices to move our county forward," Sumpter said. "Thank you to my savior for this blessing. Thank you to all my supporters, friends and family that have worked hard on our campaign. Not least but last, thank you Caleb Kershaw and Carlton Washington for sacrificing your time to serve our community. Sumpter will always be for Sumter!"

Washington said he thinks the people of District 1 are ready for a change, and he is ready to take on “some real serious problems” that he sees in the district. 

A resident of Rembert for more than 30 years — the district covers eight precincts in west and northwest Sumter County including Rembert, Horatio and Cherryvale — Washington said many District 1 community leaders urged him to run for the seat, as he said he plans to take on several challenges in his district and the county.

He said a lack of core essential services throughout the county is a main concern he plans to address. He said services like the Sumter County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center, Veterans Affairs and Sumter School District deserve more from the county than they are receiving now. 

Washington has a vision to create a bustling economy and thriving school district in Sumter County. He wants to help Sumter School District receive the millage they are requesting and prevent the closure of rural schools, and he also wants to fix road maintenance and litter issues.

Washington said it will take a lot of work and be difficult at first, but he's ready to represent District 1.

When he first ran for office, Washington said it wasn’t only going to be him taking office. He said it was going to be the people of District 1 taking the seat.