Campaign vs. Grygowski focused on growth, development, outside political spending
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Michael Andersen will be the next representative for Beaufort County Council District 4 after defeating Thomas Grygowski in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.
According to unofficial results from the Beaufort County Office of Voter Registration and Elections, Andersen received 975 votes, or 58.1%, while Grygowski received 702 votes, or 41.8%. All 12 precincts reported results Tuesday night.
District 4 includes Port Royal, Shell Point, Mossy Oaks and portions of Beaufort. The seat is currently held by County Council Chair Alice Howard, who chose not to seek reelection after more than a decade on council.
Because no Democratic candidate filed for the seat, Andersen’s primary victory effectively secures his place on County Council following the November general election.
Speaking with The Island News during an election night gathering at Rancho Grande Mexican Restaurant in Beaufort, Andersen said he was relieved after months of campaigning.
“Really, really relieved,” Andersen said. “It’s over. Kind of over. Almost over.”
The Mossy Oaks accountant said the race became a referendum on outside influence in local government, pointing specifically to spending by the Alliance for Lowcountry Balance, a political action committee that supported several county council candidates this election cycle.
“This is a huge rebuke on special interests controlling county council decisions,” Andersen said. “I love this place, man. I really do. And I never want to lose it.”
Throughout the campaign, both Andersen and Grygowski focused on growth, infrastructure and the future direction of Beaufort County.
Andersen said his first priority on council will be financial accountability.
“That is my bread and butter. I’m an accountant,” he said. “We cannot continue just asking for more tax money and spending it on silly things. It’s got to stop.”
He also pledged to focus on taxpayer spending and opposition to what he described as subsidies for developers and special interests.
Although the campaign became increasingly competitive in its final weeks, Andersen said he planned to contact Grygowski after the results were finalized and thanked him for participating in the race.
“At the end of the day, we still have to be neighbors to one another,” Andersen said. “I think it has made me a better candidate as well. We’ve made each other better candidates.”
Grygowski, a retired Marine Corps officer and University of South Carolina Beaufort student, said he was proud of the campaign despite the outcome.
“I had no preconceived notion on how it was going to be,” Grygowski told The Island News. “I’m proud of the campaign that we ran. I’m proud of the people that we met. Grateful, really, for the whole opportunity and to be part of the process.”
Grygowski said he texted Andersen after the race and wished him well.
“I wish him the best,” Grygowski said. “I look forward to working with him.”
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
