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Annie Andrews Courts GOP, Independent Voters at Aiken Town Hall Three Arrested After Aiken County Deputy Shot in Foot Chase Brewers Take World Series Opener Misiorowski Breaks World Series Velocity Mark Appeals Court Sets Saturday Deadline
Aiken SC Politics & Government

Aiken SC Politics & Civic News — Page 11

Covering Aiken City Council, Aiken County Council, South Carolina General Assembly, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Aiken County residents.

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POLITICS NOW
POLITICSAnnie Andrews Courts GOP, Independent Voters at Aiken Town Hall ◆ POLITICSMcMaster Creates Commission to Protect More SC Land ◆ POLITICSSC Early Voting Passes 280,000 After Three Days ◆ POLITICSHorry County Administrator Barry Spivey to Retire in December ◆ POLITICSEarly Voting Open Saturday at Six Columbia-Area Sites ◆ POLITICSBeaufort County Council Chair Questions Parts of CFO Report ◆ POLITICSSC Early Voting Opens With Nearly 98,000 First-Day Ballots ◆ POLITICSWilson and Johnson Make Final Push in Governor’s Race ◆ POLITICSAviation Commission Weighs Naming Aiken Airport for Graham Today ◆ POLITICSAiken County Early Voting Centers Open Through Oct. 31 ◆ POLITICSTrump Waives Most Penalties in Graham Act Russia Sanctions ◆ POLITICSGraham, Andrews Senate Race Tight as SC Early Voting Opens ◆

Aiken 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, Aiken County Council, Aiken City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county. South Carolina is the only state in the nation where the full SC General Assembly elects justices to the SC Supreme Court — not the governor — making Statehouse races consequential even to courtroom outcomes.

Aiken’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Joe Wilson (SC District 2) and Senators Darline Graham and Tim Scott. In Columbia, Aiken is represented by Sen. Tom Young, Jr. (District 24) and Reps. Charles V. Hartz (District 81) and William "Bill" Clyburn (District 82).

Aiken County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Aiken Police Department budget run through Aiken City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the South Carolina General Assembly, which convenes January through May. The Aiken County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under SC Election Commission oversight.

HEREAiken covers Aiken County Council meetings, Aiken 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 Aiken County is governed, it’s HERE.

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Oct 24 Annie Andrews Courts GOP, Independent Voters at Aiken Town Hall
Oct 24 Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey to Retire in December
Oct 24 Early Voting Open Saturday at Six Columbia-Area Sites
Oct 24 Beaufort County Council Chair Questions Parts of CFO Report
Oct 23 McMaster Creates Commission to Protect More SC Land
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NATIONAL 202 responses

What do you think: Appeals Court Sets Saturday Deadline?

Strongly support — this is overdue 41%
Cautious support — depends on the details 26%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 16%
Oppose — not the right direction for Aiken 17%
Based on our coverage · October 24, 2026
NATIONAL 490 responses

What do you think: Justice Department Sues Over Alaska Senate Certification?

Strongly support — this is overdue 35%
Cautious support — depends on the details 30%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 18%
Oppose — not the right direction for Aiken 17%
Based on our coverage · October 24, 2026
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Annie Andrews Courts GOP, Independent Voters at Aiken Town Hall
Oct 24, 2026
Annie Andrews Courts GOP, Independent Voters at Aiken Town Hall
AIKEN, S.C. — Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Annie Andrews stopped in Aiken on Friday for a town hall pitched to Republican and independent voters less than two weeks before Election Day. Andrews, a pediatrician, answered questions from the audience and laid out an economic message built around bringing down what families pay for fuel, food,
McMaster Creates Commission to Protect More SC Land
Oct 23, 2026
McMaster Creates Commission to Protect More SC Land
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Henry McMaster signed an executive order Thursday setting up a new statewide panel to coordinate how South Carolina protects its open land, wildlife, historic places and cultural heritage. Executive Order 2026-24 creates the Governor's Conservation Commission, an advisory group meant to get state agencies, local governments, private landowners and nonprofits pulling
SC Early Voting Passes 280,000 After Three Days
Oct 23, 2026
SC Early Voting Passes 280,000 After Three Days
COLUMBIA, S.C. — More than 280,000 South Carolinians have already voted, the state's newest turnout figures show after three days of in-person early voting. Wednesday drew 88,108 voters, about 6% fewer than the 93,877 on Tuesday. The state also corrected Monday's opening-day count upward by 161, to 98,129, bringing the three-day statewide total to 280,114.
Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey to Retire in December
Oct 24, 2026 · SC Statewide · HERE Myrtle Beach
Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey to Retire in December
Via HERE Myrtle Beach: CONWAY, S.C. — Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey will step down at the end of December, closing out a county career of more than 15 years, officials at the county government center in Conway confirmed this week. County Council received his letter Tuesday, and the county said he is leaving for personal reasons. He has […]
Early Voting Open Saturday at Six Columbia-Area Sites
Oct 24, 2026 · SC Statewide · HERE Columbia
Early Voting Open Saturday at Six Columbia-Area Sites
Via HERE Columbia: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Voters in Columbia SC and the rest of Richland County who want to beat the Election Day lines can cast a ballot Saturday, Oct. 24, at any of the county’s six early voting centers, with doors open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. The centers will be closed on Sunday and reopen […]
Beaufort County Council Chair Questions Parts of CFO Report
Oct 24, 2026 · SC Statewide · HERE Beaufort
Beaufort County Council Chair Questions Parts of CFO Report
Via HERE Beaufort: BEAUFORT, S.C. — The head of Beaufort County Council is raising doubts about parts of an outside investigation into why Pinky Harriott, who ran county finances as CFO, left her job in the spring. Council Chair Alice Howard said the 14-page Quick Group report leans heavily on a June 11 letter that county spokesperson Hannah […]
SC Early Voting Opens With Nearly 98,000 First-Day Ballots
Oct 21, 2026
SC Early Voting Opens With Nearly 98,000 First-Day Ballots
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina voters wasted little time once in-person early ballots became available for the 2026 general election,…
Wilson and Johnson Make Final Push in Governor’s Race
Oct 20, 2026
Wilson and Johnson Make Final Push in Governor’s Race
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The contest to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster has entered its last two weeks, and both nominees…
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Elected Officials

Your Aiken Reps

Every official with a vote on Aiken's future — pulled live from our roster.

City of Aiken
City
Teddy W. Milner
Mayor of Aiken
City of Aiken · 111 Chesterfield St S · Aiken, SC 29801
803-642-7654 · Since November 2023
City
Stuart T. Bedenbaugh
City Manager
Aiken City Hall
Since July 2018
City
Gail Bush Diggs
City Council Member
District 1
City
Lessie B. Price
City Council Member
District 2
City
Kay Biermann Brohl
City Council Member
District 3
City
Barbara Ruth Morgan
City Council Member
District 6
City
Peter Messina
City Council Member
District 4
City
Braylen Waldo
City Council Member
District 5
Aiken County Council
County
Aiken County Council
Aiken County Council
Aiken County Government Center · 1930 University Pkwy
803-642-1500
SC State Senate — Aiken County
State Senate
Tom Young, Jr.
State Senator
District 24
R
SC House of Representatives — Aiken County
State House
Charles V. Hartz
State Representative
District 81
R
State House
William "Bill" Clyburn
State Representative
District 82
D
US Congress — SC
US House
Joe Wilson
US Representative
SC District 2
R
US Senate
US Senate
Darline Graham
US Senator
South Carolina
R
US Senate
Tim Scott
US Senator
South Carolina
R
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SC Voter Registration (scvotes.gov) → Aiken City Council Agendas → South Carolina General Assembly → Find Your District (SC) → Find Your US Rep → SC Ethics Commission → City of Aiken Official Site → Rep. Joe Wilson · SC District 2 → Sen. Darline Graham · US → Sen. Tim Scott · US →
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Aiken is in Aiken County, South Carolina. Mayor: Teddy Milner; City Manager: Stuart Bedenbaugh; County Council Chair: Gary Bunker.

Latest Aiken Politics News — Page 11

  1. U.S. Strikes in Iran, New Oil Sanctions Carry Economic Implications for Aiken

    The United States has conducted strikes in Iran, according to non-federal international and U.S. reporting. These actions come in response to recent attacks on ships operating near the…

  2. New Tariff Letters Put Aiken’s Manufacturing and Retail Sectors in Focus

    President Donald Trump announced that tariff letters to a dozen countries had been signed and were scheduled to be dispatched on Tuesday, July 7. This development has brought…

  3. Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders on Executive Power, Election Rules Draw Scrutiny, With Implications for Aiken

    The Supreme Court of the United States has increasingly relied on its emergency docket, often referred to as the ‘shadow docket,’ to issue significant rulings on matters of…

  4. Aiken Watches as Supreme Court Prepares for Landmark Term on Guns, Voting, and Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court is gearing up for a new term, expected to commence in October, with a docket that includes several high-profile cases touching on fundamental legal…

  5. President Trump’s Declassification Directive Prompts Discussion in Aiken

    President Donald Trump recently stated that his acting spy chief possesses broad authority to declassify records, a directive that includes material tied to the 2020 election. This announcement…