Know Your Candidates (Part 5 of 6)

This is the fifth in a several-week series of profiles of the six candidates to succeed Joe Riley as mayor of Charleston. The candidates are Ginny Deerin, W. Dudley Gregorie, Toby Smith, Leon Stavrinakis, John Tecklenburg, and Maurice Washington.
Toby Smith is a divorced pastor with an extensive background in radio, government jobs, and the church.
She’s currently the associate pastor of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in North Charleston, and the executive director of the Midland Park Community Ministries, also in North Charleston, which runs a food pantry and a clothes closet.
A native of Charleston and a Middleton High grad, Smith now calls West Ashley home after doing some growing up in Philadelphia. Smith has never held, much less run for, political office.
Smith advocates for a revitalized West Ashley, “reconciliation,” and the completion of the International African American Museum, as the top planks in her campaign.
Acknowledging her dark-horse status in this race, where the frontrunners have raised substantially more money that she has, Smith says, “what I lack in funds I make up for in faith.”
Copious amounts of civility between the candidates have surprised her, and she is gladdened that no one has said to her to get out of the race. “I keep getting calls from people that say they can’t support me in public, but to keep talking, that I’m resonating.
“I take comfort in the people across our community who care, but don’t know how to be a part of it. I’m their voice.”
As her dream of running for mayor has become realized, Smith says if she doesn’t make the run-off, she’ll likely not run again. But, win, lose, or draw, she’s vowing to “do something, to keep my voice out there.”