A person with the name Hightower will continue to represent Aiken County Council District 8.
According to unofficial results, Democrat P.K. Hightower received 490 votes, 55.68% of the votes cast, to defeat Republican James Hankinson, who received 390 votes or 44.32% of the votes cast, in the District 8 special election Tuesday evening.
District 8 includes most of Aiken’s north and east sides.
Hightower’s husband, Willar Hightower Jr., resigned from the Aiken County Council on May 31. He represented the district from 1986 until his resignation.
“He has done a remarkable job,” P.K. said Tuesday after she learned the results. “He started the race. Now, I’m going to run this leg. I hope I can make him proud and make the residents of Aiken County proud.”
She said she hoped to work with the residents of Aiken County to get things accomplished. Hightower added she was humbled that the residents of District 8 voted and elected her to represent them on the county council.
“It’s been a rough race but I appreciate everything everyone’s done,” Hightower said. “I had a wonderful support team so I really appreciate them.”
Once she’s sworn in, Hightower will be the only Democrat and only woman on county council, something she said she’s used to.
“My undergrad degree in physics and math and [master’s degree in] nuclear engineering, I was always one of something not much bigger than one,” Hightower said.
Hightower received her undergraduate degree from Jackson State University. Her graduate degree is from Ohio State University. She also has a master’s degree in project management from George Washington University.
Hankinson thanked everyone who voted for him and supported him.
“I also want to thank the people who didn’t vote for me,” Hankinson said. “To the people I let down, I’m sorry but I’ll be back stronger to represent our neighborhoods.”
Hankinson said he planned to go back to his boxing gym and his community service. He added he would wait for next year to come.
The special election is for the remainder of Willar Hightower’s term, which expires at the end of 2024.
Turnout for the election was 7.32%. In all, 880 of the district’s 12,019 registered voters cast ballots. This includes 559 ballots cast on election day, 314 ballots cast through early voting, three mail-in ballots and four fail-safe ballots.
Hightower received 305 votes on election day. Hankinson received 254.
Hightower received 182 early votes. Hankinson received 132.
Hightower received all three mail-in votes. Hankinson received all four fail-safe votes.
The Aiken County election board will meet Thursday morning to certify the results and Hightower as the winner of the election.
She is expected to be sworn in to office in November.
