MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) -- A special election will be held this spring to fill the unexpired term of former Councilman Carl Ritchie on the Mount Pleasant Town Council. Ritchie resigned his seat in late December, just over a week before he was sworn in as the new Charleston County Sheriff. The nonpartisan special election is set for March 25. The filing period for candidates opens on January 10 at noon and closes on January 21 at noon. Anyone interested in running for the seat must submit a Statement of Intention of Candidacy form and the $150 filing fee to the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections by the deadline. Though filing has yet to open, at least one person has already thrown his hat in the ring. Shortly after the special election was announced, Mike Van Horn Sr. shared on social media that he would seek the seat. Van Horn, a Republican, unsuccessfully challenged Democrat Mark Tinkler for Charleston County Treasurer in 2024. The special election winner will serve the remainder of Ritchie's term, which ends in November.