By Kathryn Young
The town of Goshen may be small, but it’s been struggling to find a mayor.
Finally, the town of only about 400 residents has a mayor-elect to take office. Political novice Michael E. Hicks will begin serving Jan. 1. Hicks came in second place with 22 write-in votes out of 82 cast. The person who received the most votes declined to serve.
On Election Day, only one person ran for public office in the Goshen. Thomas O. McCraw ran for re-election on Goshen Town Council and won, receiving 57 votes. McCraw currently serves as vice mayor of Goshen.
The mayor’s job and second seat on Town Council were both chosen by a write-in vote. Robert L. Burke will be joining the council after receiving 35 write-in votes.
The real drama surrounded the selection of mayor.
Joey Sampson, who received the most write-in votes for mayor, refused to take the position. Sampson was elected mayor in the 2014 mayoral election, but resigned from the job after a little more than a year in office.
Incumbent Justin Thompson ran unopposed in the 2014 election. However, Goshen citizens elected Sampson via a write-in campaign. Sampson defeated Thompson by a vote of 44 to 31.
Since Sampson’s resignation, Thompson has served as the interim mayor of the town. The Goshen Town Council selected Thompson to fill in a week after Sampson’s resignation.
“I was not involved in local politics,” Sampson said after his resignation in February. “I had never even been to a town council meeting.”
Sampson received the most write-in votes again this year, but did not accept the position. The job of mayor was then offered to Hicks, the runner up.
Hicks works construction in Goshen. He has yet to hold public office in Goshen, but the people of the town are excited to see what he will bring to their local government.
“Most of the people here in town are very excited about him being mayor,” current Vice Mayor McCraw said. “I look forward to working with him. I feel like he will do a great job.”