Irmo votes this Tuesday, November 4 for two council seats. The incumbents, Barb Waldman and Gabriel Penfield, face four other candidates vying for the seats. Benjamin Battiste, George Frazier, Adam Raynor and Brandon Mundy all seek the opportunity to sit four years on Irmo Town Council.
There has been a lot of focus on annexation and growth recently with at least one candidate showing up at council meetings to voice their concerns. All candidates say the want responsible growth and controlled annexation along with a better developed infrastructure.
Benjamin Battiste is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and works at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. He served in the U.S. Army for twenty years and wants to see more green spaces along with more sidewalks for walkable neighborhoods.
Brandon Mundy is a graduate of Newberry High School and attended Piedmont Technical College. He is a local realtor and worked in industrial maintenance and planning. He wants to preserve the small town feel of Irmo, have strong schools and community programs for the whole family.
Gabriel Penfield is an incumbent and a local entrepreneur who attended the College for Financial Planning. He is a Carmel Commons HOA board member and an Optimist Club member.
Penfield lost an election bid in 2023 to Phyllis Coleman by 25 votes. He challenged the election results to the Lexington County Registrations and Elections Board saying that the 72 votes received by disqualified candidate George Frazier could have gone in his favor and he would have won the election. He lost the protest. Penfield was named as a suspect in a criminal investigation involving criminal sexual conduct in 2020 and as of October 15 of this year the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) took control of the case from the Irmo Police Department and is currently investigating. Penfield denies all charges.
He was elected in 2024 to town council to fill the seat vacated by William Danielson after he was elected mayor. Penfield wants Irmo to be a better place to live, work and raise a family.
George Frazier served as chair of the Irmo Events Committee and is a disabled veteran. He would like to see more involvement with the local law enforcement and listening to the voices of the residents. He ran for town council in 2023 but was disqualified for failing to register a change of address with the election commission. Though he was removed from the ballot he still received 72 votes.
Barb Waldman is a retired University of South Carolina faculty member and holds a doctorate degree from Johns Hopkins University. She is an incumbent who was first elected in 2021 and believes in transparency in government as well as structured growth. Waldman works closely with the local school district helping to promote student activities especially those that work closely with the town. She initiated the School Showcase and Community Connections segments of town council meetings and continues to promote new ideas and programs such as the Irmo Mayor’s Youth Council and concerts in the park.
Adam Raynor graduated from The Citadel and works for the U.S. Government. He is running for town council to preserve the small town neighborly feel. He is a former law enforcement officer and wants less development due to the affect is has on first responders. Raynor sued the town of Irmo over the mishandling of the planning commissions actions dealing with the Water Walk project. The lawsuit was dismissed.
