Harville secures runoff victory Tuesday night, elected mayor of Guyton
A new era is underway in Guyton.
With less than 15% of eligible voters casting ballots, Andy Harville won the runoff election for mayor Tuesday, unseating sitting Mayor Russ Deen, 156-129. According to Director of Elections and Registration Laura Bassett, the results are unofficial as one provisional vote is still pending.
Guyton residents had just four weeks to mull over who they wanted in city hall when neither Deen nor Harville reached the necessary 50% plus one vote during the Nov. 7 general election. Deen finished with 181 votes, Harville secured 166, and Michael Garvin drew 159 that night.
More: Runoff for Guyton's mayor will set stage for city's response to growth pressures
More: Runoff for Guyton's mayor will set stage for city's response to growth pressures
The election was historic in that each candidate’s view would shape how the town progresses in the coming years. For Harville, it is bittersweet knowing how much the community supports him.
"I want to thank the citizens of Guyton for putting their trust in me as Mayor," wrote Harville in a text statement. "As your newly elected Mayor, we all have an amazing opportunity to make a positive impact on our community. Guyton is a diverse community with people from different backgrounds and walks of life. It is important to create an inclusive environment where every citizen feels valued and heard. I will always keep the needs and aspirations of the citizens at the forefront of our decision-making process. This is what democracy is all about - citizens coming together to make their voices heard and to shape the future of our community."
As his tenure comes to a close, sitting Mayor Russ Deen reflected on the past four years and all that was accomplished.
"It is disappointing to not have the opportunity to continue the work of the city, but I still believe in Guyton and wish the new council good luck and success," said Deen. "I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made over the last four years, including bringing a YMCA, developing solutions to infrastructure issues, creating plans for recreation and development and leaving Guyton in the best financial position in its history.
"When we started, staff was minimal. We now have a fully functioning city hall with an excellent manager to help continue the beneficial work the new council will inherit. We were part of building a reliable police force that has made Guyton a safer place to live for all citizens. As a citizen and local business owner, I pray we all seek to build a better Guyton every day, one that we can be proud to leave our children."
Harville is the office manager at Pineora Handi House, a family-owned portable building manufacturer.
In 2019, Harville ran for an open seat in city council but was defeated by Hursula Pelote. He had a brief stint in the planning and zoning department before running for council again in 2022, but would go on to lose against Michael Johnson.
In his mission statement, Harville said, “If elected as mayor of Guyton, my main goal is to cultivate a community where businesses, families and individuals can work, play and live in a safe and diverse environment…each member of the community should be afforded the chance to shape the city’s future and to be treated as equals by everyone in our government structure.”
On Election Day, he came ever so close to achieving his goal of becoming mayor but had to wait a little while longer to see if voters were ready to make the switch.
Now, the people have spoken.
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Guyton residents pick Andy Harville over incumbent as mayor
