Catherine Stanford James wins special election council seat

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – With both precincts reporting, it is projected that Catherine Stanford James has won the special election to fill former Travelers Rest councilmember Rick Floyd's vacant seat.

Floyd recently moved out of Travelers Rest city limits, prompting the special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the term, which runs until January 2025.

James received 403 votes and Jeffrey Hyten, who was running in opposition, received 80 votes.

James, a Furman University graduate who has lived in Travelers Rest with her husband for about 19 years, is a senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy at Greenville Federal Credit Union. She serves on the board of directors for Roper Mountain Science Center Association, as a board member for Greenville County Schools Foundation, and as a Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year judge.

According to a recent interview, James' priorities include fostering sensible growth, enhancing and improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, protecting and prioritizing green spaces, and preserving the city’s sense of community and connection.

"[Travelers Rest] is not just a beautiful town that serves as a gateway to the northern part of the county. It’s a friendly and welcoming, close-knit, giving community," James said. "The people of Travelers Rest are truly what make this community so special, and if you have lived here for any amount of time you feel it."

(Note: The election results are not certified and do not include absentee ballots, if any. Results will be certified Thurs., Nov. 9.)