WEST ASHLEY, S.C (WCBD) – Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg officially kicked off his reelection campaign for the 2023 mayoral race.

Mayor Tecklenburg was joined by a room full of supporters, friends and family for a campaign launch party at the Schoolhouse in West Ashley on Thursday.

The mayor is hoping to lead the Holy City for third term. Tecklenburg took office in 2016 and was reelected in the 2019 race.  

During the event, the mayor outlined his accomplishments over the last seven years including providing increased funding for first responders, flooding improvement projects and creating more affordable housing.

He told the crowd Charleston’s best days are yet to come.

“The theme is to provide public safety for our citizens and to address the issues of flooding and affordable housing and transportation issues in our region and our city. And to address those quality-of-life issues that really impact everyday lives of our citizens,” Mayor Tecklenburg answered when asked what the theme of his campaign was.

So far, Charleston City Councilman Peter Shahid, former South Carolina Representative William Cogswell, Veteran Clay Middleton and Community Activist Tamika “Mika” Gadsden have all announce their bids for Charleston mayor.

Among Mayor Tecklenburg’s supporters on Thursday was former South Carolina Representative Jimmy Bailey.

“The integrity that he has, I think weighs very heavily with me, and of course I’ve known him for so long that he’s just the most decent person that you could imagine,” Bailey said of his longtime friend.

The mayoral race will take place on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.