Last Updated on 3/20/2010

Published on 6/25/2009

 Scoville, Scoville, Scoville, Scoville, Bradley, Scoville, Scoville.
That’s what it sounded like as leaders of the Georgetown County  Democratic Party called out the votes one by one after the polls closed Tuesday in the Georgetown mayor’s primary runoff.
The race, which began with four people, was narrowed to city council members Rudolph Bradley and Jack Scoville on June 9 when they were forced into a runoff.
As the absentees and votes from some areas of the city were counted, Scoville took a commanding lead.
As the 8 p.m. hour ticked away Tuesday night, Scoville’s lead grew wider.
But then, at just past 9 p.m., things changed as the votes from the final precinct were counted.
Bradley, Bradley, Bradley.....Scoville, Bradley.
Those were ballots from the West End precinct called Dream Keepers.
Before that batch of votes was counted, Scoville held a 265 vote lead over Bradley.
As the final votes were called out, it sounded as if Bradley would make a big enough comeback and maybe overtake Scoville.
But, with only 204 votes being cast in that precinct, it wasn’t quite enough.
In the end it was good enough to shrink  Scoville’s big lead as he finished the night with a 111 vote win, 673 to 562.
Bradley said the reason he lost was because a large number of people who said they were going to vote for him did not show up at the polls.
“My constituents did not show up in certain areas,” he said.
Bradley said he knew he would trail Scoville in places such as the Historic District, Country Club Estates and Willowbank but was expecting to do much better in areas such as Maryville and places like Hickory Knoll apartments.
When asked why he feels more of his supporters did not vote, Bradley said it’s a combination of things.
“Some of them forgot. Then there is voter apathy and those who said ‘he will not win anyway’ and the group that feels their vote will not count,” he said.

Looking ahead

Both political parties are ready to battle for the mayor’s seat that has been held by Lynn Wood Wilson since 1993.
Hannah Cromley, head of the Georgetown County Democratic Party, said she “knows” Scoville will be victorious when he faces Republican Marty Tennant and, most likely, petition candidate Bob Sizemore in November.
“We had a great turnout (for the Democratic primary and runoff) and I know they will come out again and support Jack,” she said.
County Republican Party leader Tom Swatzel said people really need to think hard before voting for Scoville.
“Liberal Democrat Jack Scoville represents the failed city policies of the past, not the needed house cleaning city government badly needs. Jack has been a part of the current city regime that has raised incompetency to new levels by allowing a city business to be fined nearly $1 million for simply complying with a city issued building permit,” Swatzel said. “Jack and his Democrat friends on city council have voted consistently to raise taxes and fees on city residents and businesses.”
Swatzel described Tennant as a man with “fresh new ideas for restoring basic competency to city government and reining in the tax and spending ways of the past.”
Tennant said Thursday one of his concerns is the “arrogant and abusive” city government.   
“City Hall seems to go out of its way to make things difficult for those simply trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. We must stop this in the future, and as mayor Georgetown, I will see that we do,” he said.
He said Wilson’s loss June 9 means the city “now has a chance to finally rid itself of the good old boy leaders that have created this intolerable situation.”
Tennant said Scoville is a “ranking member of our crumbling good old boy system of local politics.  I see him as part of the problem and certainly not part of the solution.  His record on city council tells me we should all be wary of considering him as our mayor.”
Tennant describes himself as the “best candidate capable of providing our City with a clean break from the past and with fresh ideas for a better future.”
Scoville said he is not concerned about having three candidates on the ballot because, he said, he believes it will be Tennant, not himself, who loses votes to Sizemore.
“The more the merrier. I just say let’s run on the issues, not personalities,” Scoville said.
 Bradley said he will support whoever is elected mayor but feels the race will be more between Sizemore and Scoville.
“I think Mr. Sizemore has a chance if he gets the signatures,” he said