Defeats Browning with nearly 80 percent of vote

LANDRUM — The city of Landrum has a new face on its council, as newcomer Shannon Dotson won Tuesday’s special election by 193 votes, according to unofficial results from the Spartanburg County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.

Dotson received 267 votes compared to Carol Browning’s 74 votes. A total of 341 votes were cast on Tuesday in Landrum, which was about a 22.5 percent voter turnout for the city. Landrum has approximately 1,515 registered voters. 

Dotson won by a margin of 78 percent to Browning’s 22 percent, according to unofficial results Tuesday.

Dotson will take over the vacant seat left by councilman Jon Matheis, who died of cancer in August while in office. He was up for re-election in 2019. 

Dotson, 50, is the funeral director at Petty Funeral Home and has served in that position since 2009. He has never held a political office.

Browning, 76, is a retired financial planner and currently serves on the Landrum Planning Commission. She was also running as a political newcomer.

“I thought the number of folks that turned out was phenomenal for a special election,” Dotson said on Wednesday about his victory. “I think that speaks volumes to how important this election was to the city of Landrum.

“I just appreciate all of the support that I’ve had from the citizens of Landrum. Like I’ve said, let your voice be heard, and it was yesterday.

“With being a funeral director and a firefighter, I serve people and citizens every day, and I think people know that; they wanted a change and they came out and said it yesterday. I appreciate all the hard work from people going door to door, and now it’s time for me to go to work for the citizens of Landrum.”

Matheis, 75, was a Landrum city councilman a little over 10 years. He retired from the Eastman Kodak Company in the research and engineering division.

Dotson will join current council members John Carruth, Tammy Wells Cox, Daniel Prince, Joyce Whiteside, Billy Inman and Mayor Robert Briggs. The city council meets the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Landrum City Hall.

The Landrum City Council Special Election results will be certified and made official at 10 a.m. on Thursday, according to the board of registration and elections.

The board will review the unofficial results, then review any absentee ballots received after the deadline, review provisional ballots and then canvass the votes.

The board meets at 366 N. Church St., Room 1630, in Spartanburg.