Four candidates seek two Beaufort council seats as several northern Beaufort County school board races take shape
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The fields are set for several local races that will appear on ballots this November after filing closed at noon Monday, Aug. 17, for Beaufort City Council and seats on the Beaufort County Board of Education.
Four candidates filed to run for two at-large seats on Beaufort City Council, while voters across Beaufort County will decide seven school board races in the Nov. 3 general election.
Four seek two Beaufort City Council seats
Incumbent Josh Scallate will seek another term on Beaufort City Council and will face three challengers: Thad Lane, Jared Madison and Grady Woods.
Councilman Mike McFee, whose seat is also up for election this year, did not file for another term.
McFee said his decision to leave City Council was a positive one and that he felt it was time to make room for new perspectives.
“Very positively, I just felt it was time to afford fresh insights and thoughts,” McFee said. “I have enjoyed my time immensely, but want to spend more energy with other charitable organizations I serve and my real estate business.”
With McFee not seeking reelection, at least one new member will join the five-member Beaufort City Council following the November election.
Scallate began his first term on City Council in December 2022. Before winning his council seat, he sought the Republican nomination for Beaufort County Council District 4 in 2022. He later challenged Mayor Phil Cromer in the 2024 Beaufort mayoral election.
Scallate said he decided to seek reelection after considering the commitment involved and believes the experience gained during his first term will be important as the city continues work on several major projects.
“I believe the experience gained during my first term, combined with the importance of maintaining continuity on several major city projects, will allow me to continue bringing value to the Council and, most importantly, to the residents we serve,” Scallate said.
Madison said his decision to run grew out of more than a year spent advocating for downtown employees and researching city issues, including housing, parking, financial oversight, civic engagement, public safety and growth.
“The more involved I became, the more I saw how many people felt unheard or disconnected from the decisions affecting them,” Madison said. “I’m running because I want to turn that work into action and make sure people know their voices matter. Ultimately I want to make sure people feel like they matter.”
Lane said his desire to serve on City Council comes from a lifelong connection to the Lowcountry and a family tradition of public service. Lane said his father served as mayor of the community where he grew up for 30 years.
“I want to make sure Beaufort keeps this charm and I want to make sure that the people who live here now feel that same charm I had growing up,” Lane said. “I know we’re getting bigger, but they’re still gonna keep coming.”
Lane said maintaining Beaufort’s sense of community is at the heart of his decision to run.
“I really love where I live and I want people to come here and keep that same sense of community,” Lane said.
Woods currently serves as the City of Beaufort’s appointee to Beaufort County’s 2026 Transportation Advisory Committee.
“I am running for Beaufort City Council to bring experienced, pragmatic leadership to City Hall,” Woods said. “I will apply common-sense, results-driven solutions to address fiscal accountability, critical infrastructure projects and growth challenges facing our historic community today.”
The City Council race is nonpartisan, with the two candidates receiving the most votes winning the two available seats.
Northern Beaufort County school board races
Four of the seven Beaufort County Board of Education races on the ballot this fall represent all or portions of northern Beaufort County.
District 2
Genie R. Brainerd and Christopher Dantzler are seeking the District 2 seat currently held by Chloe Gordon, who is not seeking reelection.
Brainerd said she decided months ago that serving on the school board would be the next step in what she described as her “service journey.” A retired educator, Brainerd said her experiences raising a granddaughter and advocating for children who have experienced trauma also influenced her decision to run.
“Strong families build stronger schools. Strong schools build stronger communities,” Brainerd said. “Stronger communities benefit everyone. Free, integrated public schools are positive for all stakeholders.”
Dantzler did not provide a comment about why he chose to run for the District 2 seat.
District 3
Incumbent William Smith is seeking another term representing District 3 and faces two challengers, Cynthia Gregory-Smalls and Willie Turral.
Gregory-Smalls previously represented District 3 on the Beaufort County Board of Education. She won a 2017 special election for the seat by three votes over Smith, 339 to 336, with a third candidate receiving 59 votes. Smith defeated Gregory-Smalls and two other candidates in the 2018 general election, making this year’s contest another matchup between the two.
Gregory-Smalls is a longtime educator who spent more than three decades working in education and holds certifications in elementary education and several areas of school administration, including principal, supervisor and superintendent. She is also a published author and active in the community.
Asked why she decided to seek the District 3 seat again, Gregory-Smalls said it was because of “the passion I have for helping students experience success.”
Turral has also previously sought elected office. He ran for Beaufort County auditor in the 2022 Republican primary, receiving about 33% of the vote against David Cadd. Turral also mounted a write-in campaign for Beaufort County Council in 2018.
Turral is the former owner of Willie’s Bar & Grill on St. Helena Island, the site of the Oct. 12, 2025, mass shooting that left four people dead and 15 others wounded, in addition to accused shooter Anferny Devon Freeman. Freeman has been charged with four counts of murder and 14 counts of first-degree assault and battery in connection with the shooting.
Turral said he entered the District 3 race because he believes the district deserves a school board member who understands education from the classroom, community and administrative perspectives.
“For me, this campaign is about accountability, student achievement, supporting teachers, and making sure families in District 3 have a real voice in decisions that affect their children,” Turral said. “I also want us to look honestly at the data, ask difficult questions when necessary, and make decisions based on what is actually helping students succeed.”
Turral said he believes public service requires more than criticizing from outside the process.
“I decided to put my name on the ballot and offer myself to do the work,” he said.
Smith did not provide a comment about why he chose to seek reelection.
District 4
Dee Matthews and Angela Stephens are seeking the District 4 seat currently held by Richard Geier, who is not seeking reelection.
Geier, who has served on the board for eight years, said he believes it is time for new members with different ideas and expertise to take on the challenges that remain.
“Eight years ago I ran for the school board under the campaign slogan, ‘Restoring TRUST in the school board,’” Geier said. “I believe that myself and the other new school board members accomplished that slogan.”
Geier said he is excited to learn more about the candidates seeking seats on the board and believes their different backgrounds and experiences are important to continuing to build community support for academic achievement.
“We have a wonderful superintendent, administrators, teachers, and staff and they need an energetic and supportive school board to continue to make progress academically, fiscally, and for even better political support,” Geier said. “I look forward to watching a new generation of board members build on the community trust that we started.”
Matthews said her decision to seek the District 4 seat comes from a lifelong involvement in education and a belief that students and teachers need strong support from the school system.
“We owe it to them to be the best they can do, to give them the best opportunities,” Matthews said of students. “If we can help them be successful and feel successful, we have created a gift for the future that no one can take away.”
Matthews said she would bring that same commitment to students, teachers and parents to the board.
“My heart is in it,” Matthews said. “I will use it every day for the betterment of kids and the teachers that work with them each day and for the parents that need our guidance at times.”
Stephens said her decision to seek the District 4 seat is rooted in her ties to Beaufort County and more than 30 years working in education.
“As a Beaufort County native, graduate of our public schools, parent, longtime educator and school leader, I understand our schools from the inside,” Stephens said. “I want to bring that experience to the Board to support our teachers, strengthen student achievement, ensure safe schools, and provide transparent, accountable leadership for District 4.”
District 5
Incumbent Victor Ney is seeking another term representing District 5 and faces challenger Gwyneth J. Saunders.
Ney joined the Board of Education in 2023. A former band teacher, Ney also served in the Marine Corps, where his career progressed from percussionist to bandmaster.
Saunders has previously sought elected office. In 2024, she was the Democratic nominee for South Carolina Senate District 46, challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Tom Davis. Saunders is a retired U.S. Navy veteran and former journalist.
Neither Ney nor Saunders provided a comment about why they chose to run for the District 5 seat.
District 5 includes portions of northern Beaufort County but also extends south of the Broad River.
Other school board races
Three additional Beaufort County Board of Education districts will be decided in November.
David Carr and Adrian Lewis filed to run in District 7.
Carlton Dallas and Kate Nolan filed in District 8.
Melvin P. Campbell, Elizabeth Hey and Gene Meyers filed in District 10.
Both City Council and school board races are nonpartisan.
The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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.