Winners said voters want to give them a chance to prove themselves when town operations are not restricted by order of the S.C. Supreme Court.
Clark soundly defeated challenger Robert Kline, gathering 1,549 votes to Kline's 393.
Clark's platform focused on guiding the town in the face of legal opposition that could again destroy it.
The town was resurrected in 2002, some five years after the original town was dissolved after losing a court battle with the city of Charleston, which successfully challenged the town's borders.
After laws were changed, the town incorporated again, and the city filed a new lawsuit that has not yet been resolved. The S.C. Supreme Court placed the court order on the town until it reaches a decision. An unfavorable ruling from the court would dismantle the town, but Clark and others have expressed optimism for the town's survival.
"It says that the people don't believe we've had a fair chance," Clark said of the election results. "The town of James Island goes on, and now all we need is a ruling."
Kline had focused on setting clearer goals for the town, providing more services for residents in the future and offering stronger leadership.
"As Yogi Berra said, 'It ain't over 'til it's over.' It's over. The person with the most votes won," Kline said. He said he's unsure if he'll run again in the future.
Bill Woolsey topped the council race with 1,400 votes. Joe Qualey received 1,354 votes, Bill "Cubby" Wilder had 1,349, and Parris Williams gathered 1,193. Challengers Carol Jacobsen and Alice Abrams received 907 and 568 votes respectively.
"I'll continue to work to keep our taxes low and town government small," Woolsey said.
Qualey said he will continue to fight the city of Charleston's development of parts of the island, which he says causes traffic, drainage and overall livability problems.
"They have done nothing but continue to create more problems through massive over development on an infrastructure that is overburdened," Qualey said.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Wilder said.
Williams added that he will pursue a traffic study to alleviate congestion on Folly Road.
"The election went very smoothly," said Alan Laughlin, the town's election commission chairman. Some 1,946 voters cast ballots, roughly 20 percent of those registered, said Trent Kernodle, an attorney for the town.
"You always want it higher, but that's above average," Kernodle said of voter turnout.
Both the city and the town presented oral arguments March 2 to the Supreme Court.
"We won't hear anything until they issue a decision," Town Attorney Michael Socha said, adding that the court usually rules some six months after hearing oral arguments. He expects that because the lawsuit concerns a governmental body, the town's ruling won't take as long.
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