Greenville’s first competitive mayoral race this century ends with incumbent Knox White retaining his seat for what he says will be the last time
After serving on the City Council beginning in 1983, White became mayor of Greenville in 1995. In that 28 years, he had few serious challengers in the Republican primaries and none in the general election by a Democrat, until this year.
Former City Councilwoman Michelle Shain, a Democrat, challenged White over what the growth of the city has shaped up to be. White’s campaign message this round leaned heavily on the growth Greenville has seen over the past decade or so, which has landed the city at the No. 42 spot on Forbes' list of wealthiest cities in South Carolina. It is one of the five wealthiest cities not in a coastal area.
Shain's counterpunch was to criticize Greenville's growing unaffordability for lower-income residents and the traffic congestion that growth has brought to town.
White campaigned on managing the city's growth, including the traffic, as well as expanding greenspace in the city.
White has stated that this will be his final term as mayor. He’ll be sworn in for his eighth term at the Dec. 11 City Council meeting and will serve until 2027.
