Though the Myrtle Beach mayoral runoff was inevitable with a five-way race, at least one political expert says Tuesday night's election results offered some twists.
"One thing that's surprising - and, I think, a barometer for the runoff - is [Councilman] Wayne Gray's decisive win," Coastal Carolina University political science professor Paul Peterson said. He said the fact that the other two council incumbents are still in the race is an indication that the May motorcycle rallies and the 1 percent sales tax for tourism promotion weren't as heavy factors as people thought they would be.
"Gray's win indicates it wasn't just the policy issues," Peterson said, because all four incumbents are still in the race. "Maybe much of the discontent with [Mayor John] Rhodes was more about personality."
While people on both sides are spinning Tuesday's vote count to favor their candidate - with Mark McBride's supporters saying 53 percent of the city voted against Rhodes and Rhodes' supporters countering that 73 percent of the city voted against McBride - Peterson said it's Bill Howard's 944 votes that stand out, in a way.
"Howard's votes were anti-Rhodes votes cast by those who couldn't stomach McBride, either," he said.
Either way, neither of the two remaining Myrtle Beach mayoral candidates is a stranger to a runoff election.
The showdown between Rhodes and McBride has played out previously.
Tuesday night, McBride said he's in the position he prefers, because the second-place finisher often wins the runoff.
It's the position from which Rhodes defeated McBride in 2005, and the position from which McBride first reached the mayor's seat in 1997 by beating Mayor Robert M. Grissom.
This time, though, the numbers look a little different. –For complete story see Sun News.
"One thing that's surprising - and, I think, a barometer for the runoff - is [Councilman] Wayne Gray's decisive win," Coastal Carolina University political science professor Paul Peterson said. He said the fact that the other two council incumbents are still in the race is an indication that the May motorcycle rallies and the 1 percent sales tax for tourism promotion weren't as heavy factors as people thought they would be.
"Gray's win indicates it wasn't just the policy issues," Peterson said, because all four incumbents are still in the race. "Maybe much of the discontent with [Mayor John] Rhodes was more about personality."
While people on both sides are spinning Tuesday's vote count to favor their candidate - with Mark McBride's supporters saying 53 percent of the city voted against Rhodes and Rhodes' supporters countering that 73 percent of the city voted against McBride - Peterson said it's Bill Howard's 944 votes that stand out, in a way.
"Howard's votes were anti-Rhodes votes cast by those who couldn't stomach McBride, either," he said.
Either way, neither of the two remaining Myrtle Beach mayoral candidates is a stranger to a runoff election.
The showdown between Rhodes and McBride has played out previously.
Tuesday night, McBride said he's in the position he prefers, because the second-place finisher often wins the runoff.
It's the position from which Rhodes defeated McBride in 2005, and the position from which McBride first reached the mayor's seat in 1997 by beating Mayor Robert M. Grissom.
This time, though, the numbers look a little different. –For complete story see Sun News.
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