By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort has a new mayor, and his name is Phil Cromer.
As of Tuesday night, Dec. 12, the unofficial results for the Special Election for Mayor of the City of Beaufort show Cromer winning over opponent Mike Sutton with almost 66% of the vote with 15 of the 17 precincts reporting and all 14 absentee and early voting precincts reporting.
Sutton received almost 34% of the vote with 627 votes.
“It feels terrific,” Cromer said while at his election after party at Panini’s in downtown Beaufort. “All those three months of campaigning, it seemed like a long time, but it really went by pretty fast and now it’s all over. It was all worth the effort.”
Cromer said that he was grateful for all the support that he received while campaigning and finished with a message to those who voted for him, “I’m not going to let you down.”
He planned on spending a little more time at his after party before heading home to get some much-needed rest, but he would like to meet with City Manager Scott Marshall sometime this week to begin to discuss things for the next 11 months.
Voter turnout was high for a special election with almost 20% of registered voters in the City of Beaufort showing up to the polls on Tuesday.
Cromer will be sworn in Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m., assuming the election results are verified during the Canvass Hearing and Certification of Results of the City of Beaufort Mayor Special Election on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, at 10 a.m.
The Special Election was held to fill the void left by former Mayor Stephen Murray who resigned in September of this year.
Murray had one year left in his term, and the newly elected mayor will finish out his term.
Cromer served on City Council for four years before he retired in Dec. 2022.
He decided to come back and run for mayor so that he could try and smooth out some of the tense interactions between the City of Beaufort and preservation organizations like the Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF).
Acting Mayor Mike McFee said that he looks forward to working with the new mayor.
“I’m looking for a very positive transition,” McFee said Tuesday night.
Attempts to reach Cromer’s opponent, Mike Sutton, were unsuccessful.
Delayna Earley 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.
Phil Cromer hugs Mary Thibault on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at the Cromer at Panini’s in downtown Beaufort. Ultimately, Cromer handily won the Special Election for Mayor of the City of Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Supporters of Mike Sutton awaiting the results of the Special Election for Mayor of the City of Beaufort in the Sutton home on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Mike and Nan Sutton refresh the results of the election page to check for updates from the Special Election for Mayor of the City of Beaufort in their home on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Voting was sparse at the Green Street Gym polling site for the Special Election for the Mayor of the City of Beaufort on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Beaufort’s Ron Timblin votes for who he hopes to be the next Mayor of the City of Beaufort on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 at the Green Street Gym polling site. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
From left, Nan Sutton, Anne Gannt (holding baby Van Corns), Elizabeth Gannt and candidate for Mayor of the City of Beaufort Mike Sutton campaign Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 on the corner of Bay Street and Depot Road. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
