Democrats Win Key Charleston County Council Seats in Election Upset

Voters in Charleston County sent a clear message on November 3, ousting the sitting chairman of the County Council and handing Democrats two new seats on the body. In an upset, Republican Joe Boykin, who had been chosen chairman by his fellow council members during his first term, lost his bid for a second term to Democrat Charles Glover, a 64-year-old former county detention officer who spent no money campaigning, the Post and Courier reported.

With all precincts reporting, the certified result was razor-thin: Glover won 49.8 percent of the vote to Boykin’s 47.8 percent, and Green Party candidate Brian Cooke received the remainder. The margin amounted to roughly two points in an upset, given Boykin’s popularity among his colleagues and his Johns Island base.

10/27/2026 – Charleston County Council

Glover, who lives on Yonges Island, ran a shoestring campaign and told reporters he would need to get into office before formulating any policies. Reached Tuesday night after his win became clear, he said he believed voters were mostly frustrated about development and traffic. His victory rode a wave of Democratic wins across the county and the nation.

“I think people were mostly frustrated about development and traffic,” Glover said after his win had become clear Tuesday night.

A Political Shape-Shifter Wins on Frustration

The second new face on the council will be Democrat Jaxie Ferguson, who won the District 9 seat with 52 percent of the vote against Republican Adam Friend. It includes most of James Island, the barrier islands of Folly Beach, Kiawah and Seabrook, a small part of Johns Island, and most of the Charleston peninsula south of Queen Street. The seat opened when Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt decided to run for Congress rather than seek re-election.

10/22/2026 – Charleston County Council

What This Means for the Council’s Direction

For residents of Johns Island and Yonges Island, the man who spent no money campaigning said people were mostly frustrated about development and traffic.

What remains unknown is how Glover will translate that frustration into policy once seated, given his own admission that he has not yet formulated specific plans. And with the opposition research controversy still hanging over the District 9 race, it is not yet clear whether Ferguson’s victory will bring closure or further questions about how the campaign was conducted.

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