Who will lead Beaufort for the next 4 years? Scallate takes on Mayor Cromer for top job

While Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump slug it out in a close battle for president, a Beaufort race much farther down the ticket is shaping up to be the local race to watch in this fall’s general election.

Beaufort councilman Josh Scallate, two years into a four-year term he won in 2022, has decided to challenge incumbent Phil Cromer for the city’s top elected post as mayor. The race for the four-year seat will pit the youngest member of the City Council — Scallate — against the oldest in Cromer — in the Nov. 5 election.

The local election comes as the city is grappling with solutions to structural problems to Waterfront Park that have been described as “frightening.” The park is one of the city’s marquee amenities and tourist attractions. Recent inspections have shown that a number of underwater pilings are deteriorating with the fix expected to run into the millions with questions being raised about why the problems were not addressed years ago.

Another issue that will likely be addressed during the campaign is growth, including the number of apartment buildings that are under construction. Basic infrastructure needs like roads, parks and stormwater systems and historic preservation issues are front-and-center in the city as well.

There’s also a contested race for two City Council seats that will draw high interest.

Four candidates are running for the two seats including political veterans Neil Lipsitz, Mitch Mitchell, Josh Gibson and newcomer Julia Crenshaw. The top two vote-getters in that race will win a seat on the council.

Mitchell and Lipsitz won seats in 2020.

Mitchell, a retired pilot and Air Force major general, became the city’s first Black council representative in 27 years. His candidacy followed a summer of protests in the city after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by police officers in Minnesota while on the ground and handcuffed.

Lipsitz is a lifelong Beaufortonian who worked in his family’s department store downtown and ran a shoe store on Bay Street before retiring.

Gibson, a photographer, served as chairman of the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals from 2015 to 2022, when he lost a race for the City Council to Scallate by 18 votes. He was president of the Old Commons Neighborhood Association in 2017-18.

Crenshaw, a realtor who also works in high-end art sales, moved to the area several years ago and says her 2023 graduation from The Beaufort County Senior Leadership Program solidified her dedication to serving the community.

The race for the two council seats and mayor were solidified when the filing period closed Thursday.

Cromer’s been serving as mayor since a December special election he won to fill the remaining 11 months of former Mayor Stephen Murray’s term following his shocking September 2023 resignation. Murray said he was tired of what he described as a daily barrage of uncivil attacks and the toll the job was taking on his health, family, friends, businesses and reputation.

When he ran to replace Murray, Cromer billed himself as a candidate who could lower the temperature of contentious City Hall debates and says he’s been successful in fostering a more respectful dialogue.

Cromer, who served two terms as a City Council member, thought his days were done when he decided not to run again in November 2022. At the time, he was 72. Prior to serving on the council he worked for 23 years as a risk management consultant for the Municipal Association of South Carolina. But his retirement from local politics was cut short just 9 months later when Murray resigned.

In seeking re-election, Cromer says one of his core commitments will be balancing growth with preservation rain the city’s unique character and charm, along with fiscal responsibility remains a top priority.

After winning a seat in November 2022, Scallate, a firefighter who was 31 at the time, was sworn in for his first term on the City Council in December. It was the very same meeting that Cromer said his goodbyes.

Scallate says fresh ideas and new energy are needed to address critical issues like Waterfront Park, managing development and transportation infrastructure.

Scallate still has about 2 years remaining in his City Council term. If he wins the mayor’s job, a special election would be required to fill the remainder his term. He would continue to hold the seat if loses the mayor’s race.