Mayor, Sheriff and Sales Tax Top the Ballot in Hilton Head Island
Published October 21, 2026 at 5:35 am|By Bristol Ainsley, Staff Reporter
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Hilton Head Island voters heading to the polls by Nov. 3 will settle a mayor’s race and three Town Council seats, then weigh in on countywide contests that include the first open sheriff’s race in Beaufort County in close to 30 years.
Mayor Alan R. Perry wants another term and is opposed by Dave Ferguson and Palmer E. Simmons. Council seats in Ward 2, Ward 4 and Ward 5 are also up, with incumbents Patsy Brison and Tamara Becker defending the first two.
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The race to succeed Sheriff P.J. Tanner, who announced in March that he would retire, pits Republican nominee Doug Seifert against Democratic nominee Alphonso Small Jr. Seifert spent two decades with the sheriff’s office and has said doubling its drug division is a top goal. Small, a member of the county Board of Education, brings more than 10 years of police work.
Two linked questions ask whether to approve a 1% sales tax for transportation, which could raise up to $780 million across nine years for road and safety work. County voters turned down an earlier transportation tax plan in 2024.
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Bristol is a staff reporter for HERE Hilton Head covering local news, community stories, and developments across Beaufort County. Bristol is committed to accurate, community-first journalism.
