Charleston Republican just accomplished a mayoral victory that hasn't happened since the 1870s: 'The people have spoken'

For the first time in nearly 150 years, a Republican will serve as mayor of Charleston, South Carolina.

In a runoff election held on Tuesday, former South Carolina state Rep. William Cogswell (R) defeated incumbent Mayor John Tecklenburg (D) by 569 votes to become the first Republican to hold the office since the 19th Century. The races are technically nonpartisan.

The last Republican to serve as mayor of Charleston was George Cunningham from 1873 to 1877.

"The people have spoken and we’re ready for a new direction," Cogswell declared after his unofficial victory, according to the Post and Courier.

"It's time for a new generation of ideas and a new way of doing things," he said. "It isn't cast stones to the previous generation, we are the beneficiaries of a lot of hard work and talent of people that really love and care about their community. I am humbled to carry that baton forward. It’s a huge responsibility, one that I don’t take lightly but one that I am excited by."

William Cogswell speaks from runoff election watch partywww.youtube.com

For his part, Tecklenburg graciously conceded the race and asked Charlestonians to support their new mayor.

"I ask each and every Charlestonian, everyone out there, to give him your support. Because starting tonight, when Mayor Cogswell succeeds, we all succeed," Tecklenburg said.

The runoff came after Cogswell earned more votes than Tecklenburg on Election Day two weeks ago. But because neither candidate earned 50% of the vote — a third-party candidate snatched more than 18% total — the race went to a runoff. That result was a harbinger for Tuesday's result because it "indicated a significant number of city voters were looking for a candidate other than Tecklenburg," the Post and Courier explained.

The message of Cogswell's winning campaign was simple: he promised to "put the needs of the local citizens first" through "smart growth," "safe communities," and "sound governance."

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