The field is set with seven contenders for three seats at Blythe City Hall Nov. 4.
Qualifying for mayor are three already familiar to many in the small south municipality of nearly 800. Most of Blythe is in Richmond County but a small portion extends into Burke County.
The candidates include former Blythe city council member Edward LaJoie. LaJoie, who works at St. John Towers in Augusta, in 2023 resigned from the council along with then-mayor Curt St. Germaine. LaJoie then lost a special election bid to replace St. Germaine to former Mayor Tom Cobb.
LaJoie said he’s committed to public safety, honesty and transparency in the mayor’s office.
Cobb, who has served as Blythe mayor on at least three occasions, isn’t in the running Nov. 4 to lead the city.
Anna M. Reeves is one of two women seeking the top Blythe post. Reeves is past president of Young Professionals of Augusta as well as the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System board of trustees.
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Reeves, whose campaign materials include the phrase “Move Blythe Forward, owns Paws and Claws Pet Bakery.
Also running for mayor is Blythe council member Rebecca Bartlett Newsome. Newsome, a barber in Augusta, outpolled former Mayor Philip Stewart as well as current council contender Mike Rineer to win a council seat in 2023.
Rineer is one of four candidates for two at-large city council seats. The Army veteran’s professional roles have included solar energy specialist.
Also running for council is Sascha Oliver Hagerman. A hospital patient care technician, Hagerman is originally from Heidelberg, Germany.
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Former council candidate and small business owner Renee Kaufman is making another run for a seat.
Stewart, who is also running for council, was elected mayor of Blythe in 2018 by four votes.
The election prompted a court challenge based on vote-buying allegations against now-councilman Daniel Martin. Stewart, a mechanic, prevailed in the challenge and Martin was later cleared of the vote-buying charges.
