Beaufort SC Politics & Civic News — Page 3
Covering Beaufort City Council, Beaufort County Council, South Carolina General Assembly, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Beaufort County residents.
Beaufort County sits inside one of the most layered governmental structures in the region. Residents answer to at least five levels of elected authority simultaneously: the federal government, statewide offices, Beaufort County Council, Beaufort City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county.
Beaufort’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Nancy Mace (SC District 1) and Senators Darline Graham and Tim Scott. In Columbia, Beaufort is represented by Sens. Margie Bright Matthews (District 45) and George E. "Chip" Campsen III (District 43) and Reps. Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (District 121) and Shannon S. Erickson (District 124).
Beaufort County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Beaufort Police Department budget run through Beaufort City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the South Carolina General Assembly. The Beaufort County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under SC Election Commission oversight.
HERE Beaufort covers Beaufort County Council meetings, Beaufort City Council sessions, South Carolina General Assembly session, federal delegation votes and town halls, school board meetings, and candidate filing windows. We also pull FOIA-sourced travel records and contracts at both the city and county level. If it shapes how Beaufort County is governed, it’s HERE.
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Quick Resources
Beaufort is in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Mayor, City of Beaufort: Phil Cromer; Chair, Beaufort County Council: Alice Howard.
Latest Beaufort Politics News — Page 3
Penny Tax and Open Sheriff Seat Top Beaufort County Ballot
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Beaufort County voters head into the Nov. 3 general election with two big local choices: whether to add a penny to the sales tax for…
Beaufort County Voters Weigh $780M Penny Tax for Roads
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Beaufort County voters will find a two-part road funding question on their Nov. 3 ballots, asking them to add a penny to the local sales…
Judge Keeps Trees Standing at East Potomac Golf Links
WASHINGTON — No more trees can come down at East Potomac Golf Links while a court fight over the public course plays out, a federal judge in the…
Israelis Vote in First National Election
JERUSALEM — Israelis streamed to polling places Tuesday in the country's first national election since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, with early turnout running at its…
Beasley and Hodges Back Andrews as Trump Returns for Graham
COLUMBIA, S.C. — With a week left before voters statewide pick a U.S. senator, both campaigns in the race picked up heavyweight help Monday: two former governors from…
McMaster’s Top Lawyer Picked for SC Federal Judgeship
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The chief legal counsel to Gov. Henry McMaster is in line for a lifetime seat on the federal bench in South Carolina, after the White…
Data Center Super PAC Spends Big for Graham
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The statewide fight over data centers and the economic investment they promise has moved from county council chambers into the U.S. Senate race voters will…
Small Jr. Pitches Community Policing in Beaufort Sheriff Race
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Democrat Alphonso Small Jr. is making closer ties between deputies and residents the centerpiece of his bid to become Beaufort County’s next sheriff, with Election…
Annie Andrews Rallies St. Helena Island Voters Before Senate Vote
ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. — Democrat Annie Andrews brought her U.S. Senate campaign to St. Helena Island this week, pressing supporters to turn out as the Nov. 3…
Sheriff Investigating Beaufort County Government Personnel
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office are now investigating county government personnel, the agency said Monday, after County Administrator Michael Moore asked for the…
Beaufort County Early Voting Reopens Monday With Ballot Tips
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Early voting centers in Beaufort County are closed Sunday and reopen Monday, giving voters six more days to cast a ballot before the Nov. 3…
Appeals Court Sets Saturday Deadline
LOS ANGELES — California has until noon Saturday to answer the federal government in a fast-moving fight over whether about 20,000 mail ballots should be pulled aside before…











