Ballots set for Sumter mayor, city council, school board races

The field has been set.

Seven elected positions will be decided among 20 candidates in Sumter's nonpartisan races, including a few late filers for mayor and only three incumbents.

Sumterites will decide who their new mayor will be on Nov. 3 after Joe McElveen announced at the beginning of the year he would not seek reelection after serving in the role for 20 years. Two city council members are running to succeed him, including one whose seat is up for election. Therefore, he left it open.

A second city council seat on the ballot also features all newcomers after Ione Dwyer also did not seek reelection. A third race features one candidate challenging the only incumbent to run for a council seat.

Two school board seats feature unopposed incumbents, while the third will be a race between four candidates after the Rev. Ralph Canty decided not to run again.

All City of Sumter residents will see the mayor's race on their ballots. Those who live in the city council and school board districts will be able to vote for those respective districts. School board districts are the same as county council.

For continued and more in-depth coverage of local elections, follow The Sumter Item in print and online at www.TheItem.com/election2020.

Candidates running for nonpartisan Sumter races on Nov. 3o:

Mayor

• Sabrina Belcher
• Debbie Bowen
• Foxy Rae Campbell
• Calvin K. Hastie Sr.
• David Merchant
• Archie Parnell

City Council Ward 2

• James B. Blassingame
• Elayne Mandie Brunson
• Talitha R. Harrison
• Keith Ivey

City Council Ward 4

• Steven H. Corley*
• Mark Dingle

City Council Ward 6

• Eddie Drayton
• Gifford Shaw

Sumter School District 5

• Daryl F. McGhaney*

Sumter School District 6

• William Levan Byrd
• Bonnie S. Disney
• Gloria J. Rose Lee
• Jay Linginfelter

Sumter School District 7

• Barbara Jackson*

*Incumbent