William Scott Cogswell Jr. (born January 14, 1975) is an American politician and businessman who is mayor of the city of

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. A member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, he previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 110th District from 2016 to 2022. Cogswell was elected mayor in 2023 after defeating incumbent

John Tecklenburg John J. Tecklenburg (born September 1955) is an American businessman and politician. He is the current Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. He was sworn in on January 11, 2016. Early life and education An Orangeburg native, Tecklenburg graduate ...

and is the first Republican mayor of Charleston since 1877.

Early life, family and education

William Cogswell was born on January 14, 1975, in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. He is a distant relative of Colonel

Milton Cogswell Milton Cogswell (December 4, 1825 – November 20, 1882) was a United States Army officer. Milton Cogswell was born in Noblesville, Indiana on December 4, 1825. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1849, when he ...

, who was named a provisional Mayor of Charleston in 1868. Cogswell graduated from

The University of the South The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church, and its School of Theology is an official seminary of ...

at Sewanee, Tennessee in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in history and English. He earned a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from

Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) is the architecture school of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. It is regarded as an important and highly prestigious architecture school.

in 2003.

Political career

A member of the

, Cogswell served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 110th District from 2016 to 2022. Cogswell was elected mayor on November 21, 2023 after defeating incumbent

in a runoff. He is the first Republican mayor of Charleston since 1877. Endorsements for Cogswell included South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, state Representative Mark Smith, and state Senator

Larry Grooms Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms (born March 20, 1964) is a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 37th District. He has served as the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee since 2007. Early life Grooms grew up in ...

. South Carolina Republican Party chair Drew McKissick said in a press statement that Cogswell's victory represented a "shifting momentum," referencing Republican mayors elected in South Carolina's largest cities: Greenville,

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

, and Charleston. Cogswell endorsed

Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...

in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race. On December 15, 2023, Cogswell announced his appointment of senior staff: * Elizabeth Applegate Dieck, chief of staff * Logan McVey, chief policy officer * Deja Knight McMillan, director of communications *

Wendell Gilliard Wendell G. Gilliard (born July 1, 1954) is an American politician, steelworker, and union official. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Gilliard serves as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 111th ...

, special advisor, quality of life and community outreach * Mika Gadsden, special advisor, community and environmental initiatives.Kayanja, Ian (December 16, 2023). "Mayor-elect Cogswell announces diverse senior staff for Charleston leadership". ''WCIV-TV''. Retrieved December 23, 2023.

Electoral history

External links

Charleston Mayoral Debate
by WCBD-TV
Mika & William
interview by Charleston activist and former mayoral candidate Mika Gadsden
Cogswell Sworn in as Mayor of Charleston
by

WCSC-TV WCSC-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Gray Television. The station's studios are located in the West Ashley section of Charleston, and its transmitter is locate ...

References

1975 births 21st-century South Carolina politicians 21st-century American legislators Columbia University alumni Living people Mayors of Charleston, South Carolina Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Sewanee: The University of the South alumni {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub