Who's running for SC legislative seats in Richland, Lexington counties
The State asked candidates to submit questionnaires. Here's a look at who's running and what they want voters to know, in their own words:
Two
Age: 70
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Education: B.A. History,
Political experience: Mayor:
Professional experience: Educator: Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, Principal, Chief Academic Officer, 1971 -- 2009;
Where did you grow up?
What do you think
What do you think
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them? My priorities for both the citizens in district 41 and across the state in this campaign are education, business and the quality of life in towns and cities. While these priorities have been validated and redefined during this pandemic crisis, they need to be addressed with an emphasis on long term thinking so that we will be ready when the next emergency presents itself. My goals will coincide with the goals of the
1. Education -- The Challenge: Teacher Retention and Student Support for Learning
There are over 5,000 teachers leaving the classroom each year; therefore, the retention of teachers is the critical element in education. Research in the field of retention supports the following: an adequate system of support and professional development; time to plan during the school work day; respect for educators and their work, compensation and now the resources to teach during the pandemic recovery.
Accessibility to broadband internet service at home for all students is basic to academic success. The State reported 30,000 students have been lost to learning during the pandemic. I will work and personally support the implementation of the four teacher retention strategies mentioned above via alternative solutions in school districts and at school sites. I will work as a proponent for flexibility in regulation and funding for education.
I will support legislation regarding broadband accessibility and academic support for student learning through summer reading/math intervention programs (K-3) and additional days for instruction and intervention (K-8) as recommended by Accelerate SC. I will visit classrooms in public and private, online and home school settings and listen and learn from what I see. I will host forums to see and hear firsthand the prevalent needs of educators, students, and parents.
Creating legislation without first-hand knowledge of how it will affect the individuals involved will never create the desired outcome. Experience is an invaluable tool for a legislator.
2. Business -- The Challenge: Recovering the Economy and Support for Small Businesses
The unemployment rate and the significant number of small businesses impacted either through permanent closure or the complexities of restarting a business will require a flexible vision as well as creative and collaborative problem solving strategies from all levels of government and in different formats to stimulate economic recovery.
As a small business owner myself, current member of the board of directors of a chamber of commerce, a three term mayor of a small town and an avid supporter of small town businesses, I have first-hand knowledge and experience to assist and encourage the following actions: support the COVID-19 relief funding allocation for the unemployment trust fund; help expand partnerships with state, county, and local agencies to assist small businesses in re-inventing themselves through training, business incubators, e-commerce and local and state monetary incentives; study and research the issues regarding state utilities in
3. Towns and Cities -- The Challenge: Preserving and Enhancing the Quality of Life
Towns and cities are the core of economic growth and stability for
Businesses and citizens look at the quality of life in a community before they choose a location to work or live. Health care services for the poor and elderly are severely inadequate in rural areas in
I will work to secure reliable and fair funding levels through legislation concerning the Local
I will support Accelerate SC proposals for funding regarding the personal, protective equipment state stockpile, nursing home and statewide testing and statewide contact tracing.
I will support legislation for more flexibility in the use of accommodation and hospitality taxes for infrastructure and law enforcement in tourist related areas.
I will support local fiscal accountability and management of resources that are essential to serving citizens and governing efficiently and effectively.
My past experience has established a secure grounding for understanding the ramifications of creating legislation that will impact cities and towns for generations to come.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? Mission Statement: My goal in running for our
Age: 60
Education: K-12 --
Political experience: South
Professional experience: I have held positions in the follow categories which have provided me with a foundation and aptitude to serve the constituents of
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think
1. Better coordinate opportunities for Legislators' to provide input regarding bills that are not assigned to their appointed committee
2. More equitably afford all Legislators an opportunity to apply for miscellaneous funding through an unbiased grant process.
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. COVID-19 containment and impact. COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge for the world and SC in particular. Other than essential services, the state came to a screeching halt. We must stop the spread and find a vaccine. The economy and stock market plunged almost immediately. Jobs were interrupted and needed supplies were limited and in some cases unavailable. I will continue to serve on committees which addresses COVID-19 and keep my constituents informed. I will continue to support or file legislation which addresses COVID-19. I supported the state allocation of funds to DHEC,
2. Recovery from CoVID-19. To assist with assuming my responsibility as a legislator with regards to COVID-19, I have been appointed by the House Speaker to serve as a member of the
3. Funding. I will continue to work with the
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? As a freshman legislator, I was the first to pass a bill during 2019 session, I am assigned to the
Civic Engagement and leadership including:
--
Political Chair of South Carolina NAACP
--
Past State Coordinator for
--
Past State Social Action Chair of
Finally, I made history being the first
Two
Age: 39
Education:
Political experience: Legal Coordinator for South Carolina Democratic Party Voter Protection, 2008-2018; Obama for America Voter Protection Legal Team, 2008; Volunteer with
Professional experience:
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Economic recovery in a post-COVID-19 world -- We are facing the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. We must make sure that state and federal aid goes to help the first responders who helped all of us and that we have a plan to rebuild small business first.
2. Public Education -- We are at a make-or-break moment for public education in
3. Dam Safety and infrastructure --
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I will bring approach-ability and accessibility back to
Age: 35
Education: Bachelor of Science from
Political experience: I'm proud to say that I'm a first time candidate for political office.
Professional experience: I started my career as a production assistant for Mad Monkey. My first big break came at the Nickelodeon, where I was recruited to help it move into its new space and run like a modern non-profit. I also ran the Indie Grits Festival. From the Nick, I moved to IT-ology, where I ran tech education programs all across the state. In that role, I expanded our program from four to ten universities across the state. I was able to do so because I collaborated with business, education and nonprofit leaders to spread the message of the economic and social benefits of expanding tech focused educational opportunities. Closer to home, my husband and I started our own gym,
Where did you grow up? I grew up in a single wide trailer in a rural town called
What do you think the
What do you think
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them? The common thread is equity. It shouldn't matter what zip code you live in, you should have access to quality public education, properly working infrastructure, and a thriving local economy.
Teachers need to be treated like the professionals they are, and we need them doing what they love best -- teaching! We need to compensate fairly, relieve teachers of administrative overhead, and create an engaging environment where children can thrive.
For many of our neighbors, a pothole stands between them and poverty.
As an entrepreneur, I know first hand the awesome transformative power of small businesses. As a legislator, I want to do everything I can to support our small business community. In order for our district to remain competitive, we must work with the city and county to address the high tax on micro and small businesses. And that's just the start. If we rebuild our education system, we help create the entrepreneurs and the employees of the future. If we rebuild our infrastructure, we will give our businesses the transportation and freight links they need to thrive. My entire campaign is about bringing equality of opportunity to the State House. I am a product of all of the things that I talk about. I want to make sure that every citizen in the state of
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I founded my startup, Vesta, which allows folks to register for gifts locally. To help fuel the entrepreneurial scene, I helped run
Age: 84
Education: B.A.
Political Experience:
Professional Experience: Teacher, Principal of
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Education -- Increase teacher pay to equal or exceeding southeastern teacher salaries; provide resource officers for each school; provide a nurse for each school; reduce teacher paperwork; have teacher and student safety a priority; have smaller classrooms.
2. Improve existing roads and add new roads with previous gasoline tax increase --
3. Improve accessibility to health care for all citizens including children and seniors -- I was able to secure funds for the
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? This is my final campaign and I would like to tie up loose ends with the projects I've already started. I listen to my constituents to find out their concerns and then their concerns become my goals. I respond to inquires by my constituents. As a result of listening, I have been able to get: needed sidewalks installed, roads repaired, roads redesigned, ditches cleaned out, constituent personal problems solved, etc. Traffic congested
Age: 34
Education: DBA in Organizational Leadership
Political experience:
Professional experience: Campaign Chair for presidential candidate
Where did you grow up? Born in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Broadband internet access -- Our county council has just voted to install 2 miles of broadband wire connections into our rural community but we need about 28 miles more. I will work with
2. Roads and Bridges -- Our roads are filled with potholes across the state. Right now when constituents come across a pothole and would like it fixed, they must call different offices to see if the road is owned federally, state, county, or private. I will propose an Ombudsman Office to handle roads and bridges across the entire state. As a constituent, you would call this office in your region and the office's responsibility would be to call or coordinate the repair of the road.
3.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I want the voters to know that I am committed to bringing resources into our district so that we are no longer the forgotten district. I believe in term limits and I am promising no more than 5 terms in the statehouse
Five
Age: 48
Education: Attended
Political experience: Appointee on the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commissioner (2009 -- present)
Professional experience: Veteran,
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them? Helping restart our state's economy is the most pressing issue. As a job-creating businessman in
We must also work to fix our failing infrastructure for both road and bridge improvements as well as flooding mitigation. The most common-sense, business approach to do this is ensuring all tax dollars allocated for infrastructure improvements actually goes to infrastructure improvements, not wasted on government bureaucracy.
As a retired 20-year serviceman, I know that the state can better its efforts to support active duty families and veterans. Having another voice in the State House who understands what our military families are going through day in and day out is desperately needed, and I would be honored to continue my service as that voice.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I am proud to be the first enlisted air crew member in the history of the
Age: 65
Education:
Political experience: Precinct President, Delegate, Grass root Campaigning during the 80's.
Professional experience: Pastor for 42 years, previously NCR computer technician.
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
B. Accountability, transparency and communication. With the communication technology available today, it should not be that difficult to communicate to those we serve and represent. Our constituents need to know 'easily' what is going on at their State House and how we vote.
C. Seems there are those in government who want our governing systems to become more secularized. This is a far cry away from the way our founding fathers had envisioned. I've seen a trend, the person who is wanting to move God out of our processes, are more likely willing and wanting to do something wrong and corrupt. The Bible is the standard and we should live up to it, not remove it for personal gain. There are benefits for doing business God's way. I would like to use my influence in the State House to help raise the standard.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I may not have deep roots in politics, but that could be to my advantage. Being 65 years of age, married 45 years, pastored at the same church for 42 years, began working at age 13, father of 2 Godly boys who are successful chicken farmers in
RJ May
Age: 33
Education:
Political experience: I'm a first-time candidate, but have been involved in protecting conservative values my entire adult life by leading the fight for more open and transparent government from OUTSIDE the State House.
Professional experience: Owner and founder of
Where did you grow up? I was born in
When it came time to find a place to settle down, my wife and I knew where we wanted to live.
What do you think the
Year after year they raise our taxes and fees. Year after year they kick important decisions, like the fate of
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Roads and Infrastructure -- We do NOT have a revenue problem when it comes to our roads. We have a structural problem. The current road funding system gives the appearance of accountability without actual accountability. Road projects are determined by a 9 member DOT board unaccountable to the people. They take their cues from a handful of powerful State senators and representatives. We must change from a politicized system to one that addresses projects based on need. That starts with allowing the governor to appoint a Secretary of Transportation who is accountable to him.
2. Jobs and the Economy -- With unemployment now at record highs, thriving businesses dying, and
3. Protecting Lexington's Shared Conservative Values -- Residents of
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know?
Family and service is at the heart of everything I do. It's how I got to
I'm a pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Trump conservative who knows a smaller government is a better government. I'm rated 100% pro-life by the
Protecting the things that matter most to us is what I've been doing my entire career. As the former executive director of our state's prominent conservative watchdog, I led the fight for a smaller, more efficient government from outside the State House. Now, I want to take what I've learned and lead the fight from the inside.
That's why I'm running -- to guard the things you, your family, neighbors and friends hold dear.
Age: 60
Education: BS degree in Political Science from
Political experience: I have not held a political office
Professional experience: I served 20 years
Where did you grow up? I grew up in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them? I address issues using our
Red flag laws violate our 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.
Abortion is a big issue. I believe life begins at conception. I support the Personhood Bill. I don't believe tax money should support
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I am a retired soldier, Army
Age: 57
Education: High School Diploma,
Political Experience: None
Professional:
Where did you grow up? Lifelong Resident of
What does the G.A. do well? Unlike other states, our state legislature is mandated to keep an annual fiscal, balanced budget. One of the most important jobs of the legislature is to protect our tax dollars and spend within our means.
What should the G.A. do better? We need to restructure DOT with more accountability. If we fix DOT, we fix our roads and I look forward to that challenge.
Top 3 Issues:
a. Revitalize our economy: We need to get our people back to work in a safe way. Our people are ready, and with the support from our legislature, we can reopen our economy. Our
b. Roads: We must fix our roads. The State needs to send money from our tax dollars back to each country to repair our local roads. DOT should concentrate on Interstates, bridges, and road-widening projects with full transparency of how the money is being spent.
c. Protect our constitutional rights and conservative values: I'm 100% pro-life and believe every human life is precious and I will fight for and sponsor legislation protecting life. I will work to get government out the way and cut regulations so our community can save money and businesses can provide good paying jobs. I will defend our Second Amendment rights and our freedom of speech and freedom to worship.
Something Important? I was born and raised in
Age: 47
Political experience: I have never held public office. I previously ran for
Professional experience: founding partner, McCabe, Trotter & Beverly, PC
Where did you grow up?
What do you think
What do you think
And I don't believe he's done a great job of focusing on his constituents' needs. He's sponsored dozens of bills to benefit his industry, the pharmacy industry -- which certainly appears to be a conflict of interest. Given the tremendous challenges facing our rural district, we need a representative who is free of outside conflicts and who is laser-focused on serving the needs of the people who live here. That's the kind of representative I'll be.
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Opposing wasteful spending -- Frivolous spending holds our state back. The budget is larded with unnecessary pet projects, and the legislature sees every revenue surplus as an opportunity for a spending spree. We need fiscal restraint, and our district, specifically, needs a taxpayer watchdog -- someone to stand up, speak out, and fight hard against wasteful spending. We need someone who will publicly call out secretive earmarks. That's the role I want to play. What we don't need is a representative who simply goes along with the crowd.
2. Legislative term limits -- There are a number of reforms that are needed to make state government less costly and more accountable. We need tougher ethics laws to hold politicians accountable, agency streamlining to reduce unnecessary costs, and a total ban on secret earmarks. Unfortunately, in
3. Small businesses -- We've got to make it easier for businesses -- especially small businesses -- to open, grow and succeed. Especially now, in an economic downturn, we need to rethink all the regulations and red tape we saddle small businesses with -- and scrap those regulations that are unnecessary or unduly burdensome.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? My wife Jennifer was a public school teacher for 8 years and last taught in
Age: 66
Education:
Political Experience:
Professional Experience: Pharmacist and Business owner for over 40 years
Where did you grow up? I grew up in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1 -- Getting our economy back on tract as a result of the pandemic.
2- Education reform to provide teacher and students the tool they need to be successful in our society.
3- A balanced state budget that meets the needs of our constituents in these very critical time.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I would like the voters to know that I have always been available and accessible to help in any matters that I can be of assistance. My voting record shows that I am one of the most conservative in the SC House. I know the needs of
Age: 76
Education:
Political experience: Member of the Republican Party Since 1980, former Prosperity Town Councilman
Professional experience: Registered Pharmacist since 1973, former member of the SC Occupational Therapy Board, former member of the SC Pharmacy Board and Chair, former member of the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Better roads -- I am constantly calling our local engineers when I ride over roads with potholes or receive a call from a constituent about a problem with a particular road. I am constantly pushing the
2. Getting the education reform bill passed -- The
3. Increased accessibility for our constituents to their representatives and senators -- I have always strived to be accessible and have even published my cell phone for my constituents on mailouts and
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I have always put the best interests of my district constituents and the state of
Two
Age: 46
Education:
Political experience: first-time candidate
Professional experience: successful small business founder and owner in
Where did you grow up? My parents worked jobs in different states until eventually settling in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Jobs and the Economy -- As a successful small business owner, I know how to create jobs. I sign the front of the paycheck, not the back of the check. And I know first-hand the many unnecessary and overbearing regulations business owners have to jump through. As your next state senator, I'll use my job-creating experience to build a more business-friendly environment here in
2. Roads -- Our roads are a disaster. We've been talking about fixing them for years, but nothing ever happens. As your next state senator, I'll make sure roads are fixed based on need, not political preference.
3. Protecting our Conservative values -- I'll never stop defending the right to life and the right to keep and bear arms. I'll support
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? In 1996, I took a calculated risk to start my business here in the
Age: 49
Education:
Political experience: I have never held elected office, but I would love the opportunity to serve the citizens of
Professional experience: I am a partner in the law firm of Ormond -- Dunn, where I represent clients in matters involving real property, contractual disputes, and employment matters, as well as closing residential and commercial real estate transactions.
In addition, I have served as an infantry and air defense artillery officer in the
Where did you grow up? I grew up in
What do you think the
These questions demonstrate a misunderstanding of the standard we should use to judge the actions of our elected officials. Members of both houses of the
Having said this, there are a growing number of State senators who are dedicated to passing critical reforms, such as reducing the inordinate authority State law vests in the leadership of both houses, and who recognize that most of our budget issues are the result of excessive spending rather than inadequate funding.
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
There are many challenges facing our state including establishing the sanctity of life, defending the 1st and 2nd Amendments, and implementing term limits; but, the top three issues currently impacting voters in
1. COVID-19 recovery -- Regardless of how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out over the coming months, the damage to our State's economy is already severe. Rebuilding the economy is therefore going to be the top priority for all levels of government over the next couple of years.
This will likely include tax breaks for individuals and businesses, especially small businesses, and curtailing State spending. This will require difficult decisions, and cuts to core government programs, but if we don't reduce the tax burden, we will destroy many businesses that are just barely clinging to life.
2. Roads -- We need to focus our infrastructure spending on the repair and maintenance of the roads and bridges we have rather than continuing to build new ones. The 2019-2020 State budget allocated
3. Education -- The havoc COVID-19 has played on our economy will impose constraints on our state budget. Fewer resources will make implementing smart education policies even more critical. To improve our schools, we must:
a) Increase parental options by defending the right to home school and supporting school choice initiatives, voucher programs, and charter schools.
b) Reduce the emphasis on testing: Our schools have become too focused on standardized test scores as the only metric that matters. This is especially true in gauging teacher performance. A mediocre teacher assigned a class of students who perform well on tests will appear to be more effective than an excellent teacher assigned to a class of students who are struggling. The excellent teacher may have profoundly changed the course of his or her students' lives, but this fact won't necessarily be reflected in a single year's test scores. Testing isn't inherently bad; in fact, a certain amount of testing is necessary to evaluate student progress, but making standardized test results the preeminent performance indicator forces teachers to spend all their time teaching the test to the detriment of all other skills and material.
c) Stop electing the State Superintendent of Education: The role of State Superintendent of Education should be filled by a professional, career educator nominated by the governor and confirmed by the
d) Consolidate school districts:
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I love
Republicans
Age: 35
Education:
Political experience: This campaign is my entry into the political arena. I am not a career politician.
Professional experience: Current Employment: Business Development, Robins & Morton, began in 2018
1.
1.
Captain/CRJ 900
2.
Airline Transport Pilot
3.
+6000 Total flight Hours
2.
1.
Realtor, conducted site feasibility studies for PepBoys
2.
On-site Quality Control
3.
Managed Aircraft lease and comply with Part 91 Regulations
4.
Conducted and managed all flight operations 2012-2013
3.
1.
Law Enforcement Pilot, conducted search and rescue, narcotics interdiction, surveillance, and emergency response flights
2.
Coordinated narcotics missions for the ground task force officers
3.
Ensured aircraft airworthiness, complied with regulatory guidance
4.
1.
Line officer responding to 911 calls and crimes in progress
2.
Provided effective community policing
Where did you grow up? I grew up in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Coronavirus and the economy -- For my part, as a candidate for the
2. Improving education -- believe every child in
3. Growth & Infrastructure -- The
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? Our family prioritizes the 4 F's: Faith, Family, Fellowship, and Fun. My faith is my cornerstone. Loving my family is my highest priority. I feel called to fellowship and invest in community. For fun, I enjoy maintaining our family land and teaching my children the importance of its care so this land is still healthy and nourished when they are the ones charged with its care.
Republican
Education:
Political experience:
Professional experience: Attorney
Where did you grow up? I was born in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Spending and government -- Before COVID, South Carolinians had created and were experiencing the most robust economy any of us had ever seen. That strong economy produced record tax revenues and, unfortunately, commensurate increases in the size and scope of government. We need to ensure that state government is responsive to the citizens it serves, but we must resist the urge to spend more and have government do more just because we can. And whatever government spends should be open and transparent for all to see; we cannot allow legislative pet projects to be hidden in the budget.
2. Education --
3. Roads and Bridges -- SCDOT is making progress in resurfacing roads, repairing bridges, and relieving traffic congestion, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do. I am committed to keeping infrastructure at the forefront and working with SCDOT to spend taxpayers' dollars on the greatest needs rather than pet political projects.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I have been blessed to grow up and live with my family in
Education: 1980, BA in Psychology from
Political experience: Ran for office
Professional experience: I have been the Executive Director of Augusta Care Pregnancy Center, a
Where did you grow up? I grew up in
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Pass S.C. Personhood Bill.
2. Provide funding to stop domestic violence.
3. Change the way S.C. judges are chosen.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I am a fighter for the taxpayers and the underserved.
Republicans
Age: 64
Education: 2 years of college
Political experience: none
Professional experience: 28 years with
Where did you grow up?
What do you think the
What do you think the
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them? Ending abortion, getting our roads and bridges fixed and improving education.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I am a conservative constitutional Christian. I will protect the
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