2023 Municipal Election Information

City of Charleston Municipal Election Commission 

Municipal General Election 

November 7, 2023

The filing period for all persons desiring to run as candidates in the City of Charleston’s Municipal General Election to be held on November 7, 2023, will open on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 12:00 Noon and will close on Monday, August 21, 2023, at 12:00 Noon, in accordance with Section 11-5 of the Code of the City of Charleston, as amended.  Any person desiring to file as a candidate for the office of Mayor, City Council for District 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11, or Commissioner of Public Works must file a Statement of Candidacy and the appropriate filing fee during this filing period.

The filing fee for candidates seeking the office of Mayor is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).  The filing fee for candidates seeking the office of City Council or Commissioner of Public Works is One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00).   (Make checks payable to the City of Charleston.)  A candidate filing for a seat on City Council must be a registered voter residing in the District for which he or she files, at the time of the filing.  A candidate for the office of Mayor or Commissioner of Public Works must be a registered voter residing in the City of Charleston at the time of filing.  Proof of such residency and voter registration must be provided at the time of filing.  The Municipal Election Commission will not place the name of a candidate on the ballot unless the residency and voter registration requirements of Section 11-5 are met.

In lieu of a candidate filing fee as set forth above, the Municipal Election Commission shall accept the application of any indigent person if said application is accompanied by a notarized affidavit establishing the applicant’s indigent status.  An indigent person is defined as a person who has gross income less than the most recently published federal poverty guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and who has net assets, including any campaign contributions on hand, of less than Five Thousand ($5,000.00) Dollars.

Filing will be conducted at the City of Charleston Legal Department, 50 Broad Street, 1st Floor, Charleston, SC 29401, (843) 724-3730, during the following hours:

August 7th          12:00 Noon - 4:00 P.M.

August 8th - August 11th          9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

August 14th - August 18th          9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

August 21st          9:00 A.M. - 12:00 Noon

A Statement of Candidacy Form may be obtained from the City of Charleston Legal Department (843-724-3730) at the time of filing or the Statement of Candidacy Form may also be obtained from the City’s website at https://www.charleston-sc.gov/2275/2023-Candidate-Filing-Information.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, people who need alternative formats, ASL (American Sign Language) Interpretation or other accommodation please contact Janet Schumacher at (843) 577-1389 or email to schumacherj@charleston-sc.gov three business days in advance.

As of 12 p.m., Monday, August 21, 2023, the following prospective candidates have filed for the 2023 Municipal Election:

Mayor:

  • William Cogswell
  • Mika Gadsden
  • Debra J. Gammons
  • Clay N. Middleton
  • Peter Shahid
  • John Tecklenburg

District 1:

  • Boyd Gregg

District 3:

  • Bill Antonucci
  • Stephanie Hodges
  • Jim McBride

District 5:

  • Karl L. Brady, Jr.
  • Ron Call
  • Tarah Swetnam

District 7:

  • Owen Vogel
  • Keith Waring

District 9:

  • Francis Marion Beylotte III
  • Mike Gastin
  • William Gilliard
  • Kenneth Marolda
  • William Tinkler

District 11:

  • Ross A. Appel

Commissioner of Public Works:

  • Jeff Fine
  • Thomas B. Pritchard
  • Frederick Blake Spa