Sandy Shores Mayoral Race Heats Up as Three-Way Contest Takes Shape

SANDY SHORES — With the special election just weeks away, Sandy Shores voters are facing a genuine three-way contest for the first time in over a decade, as incumbent Mayor Chumley BigChum fights to hold his seat against two challengers pitching very different visions for the town's future — and a growing pile of questions about his own.

Mayor BigChum, is seeking his third term after many years in office, running on what his campaign is calling a "Steady Hands, Sandy Sands" platform, a slogan longtime residents note is roughly the second in as many elections, following the retired "BigChum, BigTown," the ill-fated "Chum in the Sun," and 2018's widely mocked "Vote Chum, Not Some Bum."

Instantly recognizable around town by his sun-bleached gray mullet and well-worn maroon polo — usually paired with a popped pink collar, BigChum has built his image as the unpretentious, always-around local guy, more likely to be found chatting outside the Fleeca Bank than behind a podium.

BigChum's re-election bid is backed by the Blaine County Merchants Guild, the Sandy Shores Beautification Committee, and the Retired Postal Workers of Blaine County.

Frank King Sr., a veteran of Blaine County civil service, has emerged as the race's institutionally-backed frontrunner, securing endorsements from Phantom Logistics, the Blaine County Law Enforcement Association, and the Blaine County Fire Chiefs Association, a trifecta his campaign touts as proof he's the "adult in the room" candidate. King cuts an imposing figure on the trail, rarely seen without his wide-brimmed cowboy hat and a weathered, no-nonsense expression that his supporters say reflects decades of hard work — and that his detractors have started mocking as "the permanent frown."

King, who has spent 45 years in various public service roles across the county, is running on a platform centered on public safety and infrastructure investment, arguing

the town has been "coasting on duct tape and good intentions for too long."

"Experience isn't a talking point, it's 45 years of showing up," King said at a campaign stop near the Sandy Shores Fire Station. "Public safety comes first, full stop. And we're going to fix these roads, this water system, and this town's reputation, because Sandy Shores deserves better than being the punchline of Blaine County."

Running without a formal sponsor or major institutional backing, Charles Dickson has positioned himself as the race's populist wildcard. His platform centers on lowering taxes for working-class residents, boosting funding for emergency services and infrastructure, and what he calls a "zero-tolerance crackdown" on homelessness and benefits abuse in the greater Sandy Shores area.

Dickson has also floated a proposal to offer discounted firearms to law-abiding residents through a town-subsidized program, framing it as both a public safety measure and a nod to Sandy Shores' self-reliant roots — a proposal that's drawn both enthusiastic support and sharp criticism at recent town hall meetings.

"I'm not backed by some logistics company or good-old-boys club," Dickson said. "I'm backed by the people who are sick of watching their paychecks shrink while the potholes grow. Lower taxes, safer streets, and a town that takes care of its own — that's it. That's the whole pitch."

Weazel News will continue to monitor the race as it develops.