By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Just as Charleston plays a leading role in South Carolina’s history, economy and civic life, so does its leader.
For the last 40 years, that’s been Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., a passionate, future-oriented progressive who has molded the Holy City from a somewhat sleepy footnote of history into a nationally-recognized municipal dynamo powered by its port, knowledge economy and world-ranked tourism.
So it is understandable that many across the state have an interest in the man who will replace Riley at the helm, businessman John Tecklenburg, who was elected Tuesday to take over in January.
Many South Carolinians outside of Charleston may not know of Tecklenburg, a commercial real estate agent with a long record of civic involvement. For years, he ran the family business, an oil distribution company. He also built and operated a store on Daniel Island. And he served as Charleston’s director of economic development for Riley in the 1990s, a stint that helped spur the revitalization of upper King Street, once the home of empty stores now filled with nationally-recognized restaurants, shops and businesses.
As a veteran staffer under Riley, he brings a well-rounded understanding of how the city works — and should work. For almost two years, he’s campaigned for Charleston’s top job by saying he would work to involve people in the city and to improve its livability.
“Charleston is not a theme park,” Tecklenburg said in a television ad that set his campaign apart. In those six words, he succinctly captured what distinguished his candidacy from the five people he faced at the polls on the first Tuesday of this month. His motivation: to serve the people of Charleston by working collaboratively with them to achieve a unified community vision.
Tecklenburg placed first in the general election with 36 percent of the vote, edging long-time state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, by just one point. Ginny Deerin, a former Riley campaign manager and nonprofit founder, placed third with 17 percent of the vote.
Deerin played a key role in Tecklenburg’s ultimate victory. During the long general election campaign marked by more than 30 public forums, Deerin ran a tough ad that linked Stavrinakis to developers. Stavrinakis balked, claiming the ad was negative and that such campaigning didn’t have a place in Charleston politics. As the spat intensified, Tecklenburg pushed his positive theme of unity and quality of life.
When Deerin didn’t make the Nov. 17 runoff election, she endorsed Tecklenburg. Many times, endorsements may not carry a lot of punch. But when Stavrinakis — the guy who complained about a negative ad — then ran a negative ad calling Tecklenburg, a real estate agent, a developer, the duplicity was too much for many. It energized Deerin’s supporters to return to the polls and punch the button for Tecklenburg.
“This was a good win done the right way,” one former city council member observed Tuesday, noting how Tecklenburg refused to take the bait of negative attacks and nasty campaigning.
Maybe leaders across South Carolina can learn something from Tecklenburg about running a campaign based on decency. In times when terrorists set off bombs in Paris and a lone gunman murders people in a historic Charleston church, it is comforting to know that the man who will now lead the city has a strong a set of core community values, integrity and single-mindedness to do the right thing.
He got that from his parents, former city council member Esther Tecklenburg and the late Henry Tecklenburg Jr., a statewide civic leader who worked for years with former U.S. Sen Fritz Hollings. Upon Henry Tecklenburg’s death in 1993, Hollings said, ““Teck, as we knew him, was the epitome of the Charleston gentleman and the Christian servant. He loved people – people of all walks of life. He took satisfaction in setting them at ease, sharing his wisdom with them, extending a helping hand, making a difference big or small in their lives.”
Sound familiar today? That’s the kind of guy who will now lead Charleston. His father would be proud, just as his family and friends are.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
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