South CharlestonNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

South Charleston Mayor & City Council Election 2026

9 of 9 council seats are on the ballot, with 12 candidates running. Updated Oct 6, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters elect the mayor citywide and one council member in each of eight wards. Only Ward 4 and Ward 6 have two candidates on the general election ballot; the mayor and the other six wards list one candidate each.

Election day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

What the next council decides

01Park Place development3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Park Place shopping center is still adding tenants, and the city has taken council actions tied to its lease revenue bonds.

What's on the tableHow the city supports and finances the remaining Park Place work and what follows it.

02Jefferson Park redevelopment2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council created a second redevelopment district and approved a first project plan for Jefferson Park in late 2025.

What's on the tableWhich projects the city pursues in Redevelopment District No. 2 and how they are funded.

03A new community center2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city has discussed replacing the community center, which the mayor said has been underwater nine times.

What's on the tableWhether to build a replacement facility, where, and how to pay for it.

  • The current community center is off Jefferson Road, was built in the 1980s and has been underwater nine times because it sits in a flood plain, Mayor Mullens said. WSAZ · Nov 7, 2024
  • In May 2026 Mayor Mullens said the city has a conceptual plan and a selected site for a new health and wellness facility and coliseum. Charleston Gazette-Mail
04Public safety staffing and equipment3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council has recently adopted police and fire scheduling ordinances and approved equipment financing.

What's on the tableHow the city schedules and equips its police and fire departments and pays for equipment.

5 notes on these statements

The city council page lists Adam Strider as the Ward 8 council member. City of South Charleston

The November ballot lists John E. Golden and Bill Horton as the candidates for Ward 8. West Virginia Secretary of State · Nov 3, 2026

The city council page lists Westley Smolder as the Ward 7 council member. City of South Charleston

In the May 12, 2026 Democratic primary for Ward 7, Westley Smolder received 58 votes and Amanda Franklin received 115. Kanawha County · May 12, 2026

Council minutes record most actions as unanimous voice or roll call votes without naming each member's vote, so the positions shown for council members are the motions they moved or seconded. South Charleston City Council minutes, December 4, 2025 · Dec 4, 2025

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should South Charleston do about its flood-prone community center?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.New · How South Charleston is runWho runs South Charleston, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 9 on this ballot

9 council seats. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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