Charleston County elects new Republican sheriff

Former Mount Pleasant police chief Carl Ritchie will now serve as Charleston County’s top cop after winning a close race Tuesday night against Democratic incumbent Kristin Graziano.

“I’m going to get to work right away,” Ritchie told supporters at a watch party in Mount Pleasant.

“I’m going to meet with folks I need to in Charleston County government and start talking about how we can start righting the ship.”

Ritchie touts more than 30 years of local law enforcement experience and was elected to Mount Pleasant town council after retiring as the community’s police chief in 2021.

His win is a sharp departure from the county’s current sheriff and puts the office once again under Republican leadership as it was for decades until Graziano was elected in 2020.

“In a world that’s often clouded by hate and division, I ask that you, let’s choose a path of unity,” Sheriff Graziano told reporters Wednesday as she conceded the election.

“Let’s rise about this negativity. Embrace some kindness for once.”

Graziano was the first woman and openly gay sheriff to be elected. She immediately fulfilled a campaign promise to end a voluntary agreement with federal authorities that relied on local deputies to help ICE deport immigrants. Graziano argued then, the agreement was costly and created distrust in minority communities.

This election year, immigration became a top issue for Republican candidates nationwide, including South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace. In recent months, Mace took aim at Graziano, accusing the sheriff of letting immigrants “run wild.” Mace easily won her re-election bid last night.

“It’s unfortunate that they want to take a national issue and make it a local problem,” Graziano said. “Charleston’s better than that.”

But accusations involving immigration aren’t the only issue Graziano faced. More than a dozen inmates have died in detention during her time as sheriff, prompting a federal investigation into potential abuse. Also, reports of inadequate staffing have plagued her tenure.

As for what she’ll do next, Graziano told reporters she’s focused now on her final months in office. Ritchie will take the reins as sheriff in January 2025.