Previewing the Mayor race for the City of Gaffney

GAFFNEY, S.C. (WSPA) – With the run-off race for the City of Gaffney in less than a week, 7NEWS sat down with each candidate to ask them about their platform, their reason for running, and why each believes they are the best candidate to lead the City of Gaffney forward for the next four years.

Lyman Dawkins III is a current Cherokee County council member and the principal for Gaffney Middle School. He is seeking to replace the incumbent Mayor of Gaffney, Dr. Randy Moss, a practicing physician who was elected after a runoff election in 2020.

In the Aug. 14 general election , Dawkins, received the most votes (47.68%), followed by Moss (32.01%), Alex Davidson Sr. (10.45%) and Clarence Dover Jr. (9.74%). Write-ins accounted for 0.02% of the almost 1,700 votes cast.

Each candidate appearing in the Aug. 27 runoff election was asked the same basic questions which are listed below.

1. Why are you running to become the City of Gaffney’s Mayor/Why are you seeking re-election?

Lyman Dawkins III:

“Simply just to impact the community in a positive way. The last 7 years I’ve served on Cherokee County Council, we’ve done a lot of positive things in this community. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, but just watching over the last few years, we haven’t had that same type of growth and development in the city and having children here and being indebted here and wanting to see the city flourish, I decided to throw my name in the hat to try and see if the citizens want a different type of leadership.”

Dr. Randy Moss:

“My wife really didn’t want me to seek re-election, however I made a promise to bring transportation to my city. Among all the things we did accomplish there was that one small thing I wanted to do.”

2. What platform are you running on?

Lyman Dawkins III:

“I’m always looking to improve our local infrastructure, whether that’s roads. I’m always looking to recruit new businesses whether that’s store fronts or new grocery stores and restaurants. Beautifying the city [is another thing I want to accomplish]. We want to make the city just look better; clean. {I want to make it] a cleaner city, a safer city. And the downtown area. [I’m] looking to revitalize the downtown area. In my forty years of living in the downtown area, it has not thrived in those years, so I would like to see what we can do to improve that. And something simple as getting Limestone University more involved. That crowd, and that demographic and being able to tap into those and that younger demographic and being able to use those revenues and tax dollars.”

Dr. Randy Moss

“I’m certainly running on my record. All you have to do is look at the growth in the city. We have one of the few in the whole state that has an Easter parade, we have Food Truck Fridays where the folks can get out. We have free concerts in Jolly Park that we have never done before. Now, I have done the job. The other thing is, I set my appointments in my medical practice around my job as the mayor. I’ve also never missed a single council meeting; never missed a committee meeting as the mayor in four years.”

3. What makes you believe you are a better candidate to lead the City of Gaffney forward than your opponent?

Lyman Dawkins III:

“Leadership styles. Being able to unify people, bringing people together. That’s one of the biggest things that I’ve seen and that other residents have seen as I’ve talked to them. We want the council to be together, not you know constantly fighting during council meetings, not bashing whether it’s in newspapers or online media as well. I feel like I can unify the community. I feel like we can get some things done that way and I think that’s the only way you can move forward, and that’s through unity.”

Dr. Randy Moss

“In real estate, its location, location, location. In leading a city, it’s experience, experience, experience. [Lyman} has none. He’s served on county council without any significant accomplishments for 7 years. He recently left the county council saying that he was leaving politics because his wife was having a baby and then two days before the filing closed, he decided to run for mayor.”

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