BEAUFORT, S.C. (Nov. 2, 2023) – Phil Cromer and Mike Sutton, both former members of Beaufort City Council, will be on the Special Election ballot on Dec. 12 to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor Stephen Murray.
Murray resigned in September. Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFee became acting mayor at that time. The term will expire in December 2024.
City Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan.
Some biographical information about each candidate, in alphabetical order:
Phil Cromer: Cromer was a member of City Council from 2014 to 2022. He has a B.A. degree from the University of South Carolina (USC), and a joint Master’s degree from USC and the College of Charleston. He has an Associate in Risk Management from the Insurance Institute of America. He served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves.
Cromer was town administrator of Ridgeland and town manager of Port Royal. He was also a risk management consultant for the Municipal Association of South Carolina.
He and his wife, Amelie, have two married daughters and four grandchildren. He is a docent at Beaufort History Museum, president of the Beaufort County Historical Society, and president of St. Andrew’s Society of the Lowcountry.
Mike Sutton: Sutton served on City Council from 2006 to 2014. He attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Texas A&M, taking non-degree courses in marine salvage, oil spill cleanup and incident command. He served for 21 years in the Coast Guard and retired in 1998 with a background in marine engineering and environmental emergency response. He has been a first responder in marine environmental emergencies.
Sutton owns Sutton Construction, an historic restoration company in Beaufort. Sutton currently serves on the Historic District Review Board and the Building Board of Appeals. He previously served on the Beaufort Redevelopment Commission and the Beaufort County Sales Tax Commission. He is married to Nan Sutton, a former member of City Council, and the owner of Lulu Burgess, a downtown boutique.
More information about the Special Election, including where to vote, can be found on the City’s website.
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