Will Erica Cokley accept her seat on CCSD’s Board of Trustees despite plans to withdraw from race?

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A Charleston County School Board of Trustees member who said she was dropping out of the race last month earned the most votes for her district’s seat on Tuesday night.

Erica Cokley was on the ballot to serve on the Board of Trustees for District 6.

Cokley said in mid-October that she was dropping out of the race over safety concerns and that she ‘no longer felt safe in office’ after she and her family received numerous threats.

The candidate said she planned to file the necessary paperwork to withdraw from the race. But Isaac Cramer, Executive Director for the Charleston County Board of Elections, said they never received that paperwork.

Cokley was still listed as active on the ballot on Election Day and earned 3,446 votes.

So, what will happen to Cokley’s seat now that she has won but supposedly wanted to withdraw from the race?

Charleston County School Board Chairman Rev. Dr. Eric Mack told News 2 that if Cokley is officially declared the winner, but cannot or will not accept the seat, then the incoming CCSD Board of Trustees and the district will work with the Charleston County Board of Elections and the Charleston Legislative Delegation to “handle the matter.”

Cramer said the Board of Elections will work to certify the election results Friday morning. If Cokley submits a letter of withdrawal before then, the board will determine the next steps.

If that letter comes after the board certifies the results, and she does not take the seat, then the governor will appoint a designee to fill the seat.

“District staff members have not spoken with Ms. Cokley about her intent to return to the CCSD Board of Trustees if she is the certified winner. If she does not accept the seat, the remaining members of the new Board of Trustees will address the matter after they have been certified and officially taken their seats,” a spokesperson for the Charleston County School District said in a statement to News 2. “As the process plays out, we will continue to work with the appropriate parties, including the Charleston County Board of Elections and the Charleston Legislative Delegation.”

News 2 called Cokley on Wednesday afternoon to ask if she still planned to serve on the Board of Trustees, but she abruptly ended the call when asked about the matter and did not respond to text messages despite having responded in the past.

Cokley was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020.