MANSFIELD — Republican Amanda Stanfield has withdrawn from the race to represent the 4th Ward on Mansfield City Council.
The Richland County Board of Elections on Monday accepted a notification of withdrawal from the November ballot from Stanfield, according to elections director Paulette Hankins.
Richland County Republicans may consider replacing Stanfield on this fall’s ballot. She was unopposed in the May primary. That process is now being discussed by the local GOP, according to Hankins.
Democratic newcomer Alomar Davenport won his party’s primary by unseating long-time incumbent Walden “Butch” Jefferson with 56 percent of the vote, according to final, unofficial results from the elections board.
If local Republicans do not select someone to replace Stanfield, Davenport, 42, of 575 Stocking Ave., will take over for Jefferson, 70, in January.
Stanfield was the first Republican to run in the 4th Ward in recent memory. There was no GOP challenger for the seat, largely representing the city’s north side, in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 elections.
Republican Bill Freytag, board of elections chair, said the party would look for a new candidate and would likely have until Aug. 12 to find one.
Also on Monday, the local elections board invalidated three provisional ballots and ruled the other 36 as valid, ordering them to be counted in the official tabulation.
