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Charleston native
John Tecklenburg beat state Representative Leon Stavrinakis in a
runoff election to lead a city still coping with the massacre of
nine black parishioners at one of its oldest churches last
summer.
The two men, both white, had emerged as the top vote-getters in
a general election on Nov.3 that was contested by six
candidates, three of whom were black. The race for mayor in
Charleston, a city of 130,000 people, is nonpartisan.
Tecklenburg is a former director of economic development for the
city under Mayor Joe Riley, who is retiring after an
unprecedented 10 terms as Charleston's leader.
First elected in 1975, Riley has been widely praised for his
efforts to turn Charleston into a top tourist attraction known
for its restaurants, arts and architecture.
The Democrat, also white, had made racial integration a top
priority during his tenure. He did not endorse any candidates in
the race to succeed him.
The mayoral contestants twice halted their campaigns this year
after an accused white gunman opened fire in June on black
parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church
during a Bible study and record-breaking floods ravaged the city
and state in October.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Lisa Von Ahn)
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