Teddy Milner wins Aiken mayoral runoff election
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - After a recount certification on Thursday, Teddy Milner has won the Aiken mayoral runoff election.
Milner will run unopposed in November. The recount was after a difference of 14 votes, with Milner ahead of incumbent Mayor Rick Osbon.
“Phew, glad that’s done,” said Milner.
Milner is the first woman mayor in the city’s history, according to her campaign manager.
All ballots were recounted by 12:37 p.m., and the results were the same. Milner had a total of 2,135 votes and Osbon had a total of 2,121.
“14 is my new lucky number. 14 people made the difference,” she said.
After the certification, the recount took place around 10:30 a.m. The votes had to be certified again after the recount.
“I had already assumed that it was going to be a close election, and we weren’t sure which way it would go. And it was a little bit closer than we originally thought it was going to be,” said Aiken GOP Chair Debbie Epling.
The 0.33% difference automatically led to the recount. Anything less than 1% defaults this way. Per state law, it takes place after the initial certification of votes.
Milner said on Facebook on Wednesday that she looked forward to a trouble-free recount and certification.
Osbon said these votes deserve to be looked at but will them regardless of the outcome.
Both candidates agreed to accept Thursday’s outcome.
Epling said: “They can appeal, but I do not believe from what I have talked to people there will not be any kind of appeal or protest to the best of our knowledge right now.”
There were more than 4,200 votes in the runoff, which is more than 600 more than the primary. Epling says an uptick like this rarely happens.
“We actually had something a little unusual happen, a runoff is where the numbers usually go down, but the numbers went up from the primary,” she said.
Milner begins on Nov. 27, and she says she’ll be learning and listening to citizens before she begins.
She already has a list of what she wants to accomplish off the bat.
“Clean water for the citizens I’ve been hearing that over and over again and a new floor at Smith-Hazel a basketball court,” said Milner.
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