Early voting begins Wednesday for Isle of Palms City Council runoff

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD)- Voters on the Isle of Palms will head back to the polls next week for a runoff election to fill a vacant city council seat.

Three candidates were vying for the seat on Election Day — Rusty Streetman, Susan Hill Smith, and Josh Hooser.

Unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission show Streetman received about 40.7% of the vote, Smith got 37.3%, and Josh Hooser got 21.5%.

A candidate must win at least 50% of the votes plus one to avoid a runoff. No candidate met that threshold, triggering a runoff between the two candidates who received the most votes.

That means voters will decide between Streetman and Smith in the November 19 runoff.

Early voting is open Wednesday, November 13 through Friday, November 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charleston County Board of Elections headquarters in North Charleston.

Neither candidate is new to Isle of Palms residents as both previously served on the city council.

Smith said her priorities include adding city staff for resiliency and natural resource management, tackling drainage issues throughout the island, and implementing proactive measures to protect against beach erosion.

“I have a very proactive solutions-driven approach around not just environmental issues but all the things that come before the council,” Smith said. “I am very collaborative, and I’ve lived on the island for 30 years now — raised three children here. I have great relationships with many people across the island.”

Streetman’s top issue is stormwater drainage, but he also wants to address traffic, safety, and parking problems.

“The reason [residents] should vote for me is because I have a background in the private sector, I have been in business for over 40 years handling budgets, handling people,” Streetman said. “I’ve got a good personality, good listening skills. I’ve served four years on council [and] I think I did a very good job while I was on a council.”

While the candidates align in several areas, they disagree on perhaps the island’s most salient issue — short-term rentals.

Voters defeated a referendum last year that would have capped the number of short-term rental licenses to 1,600 for non-primary residents. Smith wants to revisit the issue, but Streetman does not.

“Mr. Streetman doesn’t even seem to want to have a conversation and acknowledge the residents’ concerns about issues involving short-term rentals,” Smith said. “I’m open to having that conversation. I have not been aggressively talking about having a referendum or anything like that I’m just saying that I am open to revisiting the issue.”

“Our citizens spoke loudly and clearly by defeating that referendum by 10% last fall, and I see no reason in bringing that issue up again,” Streetman said. “We have a lot of other issues on city council we need to be dealing with next year, not the short-term rental situation.”

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of outgoing Councilwoman Elizabeth Campsen’s term. Campsen resigned from her post on Aug. 9 after announcing plans to move off the island in 2025.

Polls will be open at Isle of Palms City Hall and the Isle of Palms Recreation Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Any registered Isle of Palms voter can cast a ballot, including those who did not participate on November 5.