Runoff is Nov. 19 for Sumter City Council Ward 4 race between Gene Weston, Lynn Kennedy

The race to see who will be the next Ward 4 representative on Sumter City Council will go to a runoff, as no candidate secured a majority of votes to win outright on Nov. 5.

Gene Weston earned the most votes, securing 24.68%, or 584 votes, followed by Rebecca Lynn Kennedy, who got 22.36%, or 529 votes. They will face each other in a runoff race Nov. 19.

"We've worked hard to get to where we are, and we're going to get up again tomorrow and continue to work hard and try to earn people's votes. I really appreciate everyone who came out and voted, and our work's not over. I wanna appreciate you again in two more weeks," Weston told The Sumter Item on Tuesday night.

Kennedy said, "I've been praying about this ever since I've started running for council, and that's my prayer every morning and every night before I go to bed, that if this is the Lord's will that I serve the community in the capacity of a councilman, I'm gonna do my best that I can do, and I really wanna support the citizens of Sumter."

Weston is the owner of the construction company Burgess-Brogdon Building Supply in Sumter, where he was born and raised. He has been back in the city for 30 years, and his priorities include decreasing crime and improving economic development. He ran for the City Council Ward 4 position once before in 2000, the year former Mayor Joe McElveen was first elected before serving 20 years.

Kennedy has lived in Sumter her whole life and has had a hand in various Sumter events during her time as an event manager for the City of Sumter - a title she held for 17 years but is now retired from. One of Kennedy's main projects if elected will be revamping neighborhood watch programs in Ward 4, and she has put a heavy emphasis on the importance of knowing one's neighbors.

In third place came Lucy Mahon, who ended the night with 20.46%, or 484 votes, followed by Jimmy Davis, who got 17.79%, or 421 votes, and Scott Burkett, who got 14.33%, or 339 votes. There were nine write-ins.

The winner of the runoff will succeed Councilman Steve Corley, who did not run for reelection after serving two terms on council.