Polkey for Council - 1
Charleston native Aaron Polkey today announced his candidacy for Charleston City Council. Polkey is running in District 4 for a seat currently held by Robert Mitchell.
In his announcement Polkey said he is running to help solve the city’s affordable housing crisis, increase investment in resilient local infrastructure, and renew livable neighborhoods that better serve people and families.
“As an old school Charlestonian with an eye for the future, I'm running to preserve our quality of life, protect what makes peninsular Charleston unique, and prepare a prosperous future for all Charlestonians,” Polkey said.
Polkey is President & CEO of Palmetto Project, a statewide nonprofit organization with a 40-year record of success in catalyzing successful public-private partnerships to improve the quality of life of South Carolinians. Over the course of his career, he’s worked to preserve safe and affordable housing, mitigate violence, extend opportunity to young people, and more.
Polkey is also a former Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commissioner. An attorney by trade, he earned his B.A. degree from Georgetown University, where he was awarded the Georgetown College Medal, and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, where he was named Moot Court Best Oral Advocate. He is licensed to practice law in South Carolina, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. Aaron is also a graduate of Buist Academy and the Academic Magnet High School in Charleston County.
Polkey, a fourth-generation peninsular Charleston native, is the son of Sylvia Polkey Smalls, a retired District 20 educator, and Robert Smalls, a retired city bus driver. He is married to Jason Coleman and resides in the East Central neighborhood.
You can learn more about his campaign at www.aaronpolkey.com.