June 14, 2016 Primary Information For Charleston, Berkeley, & Dorchester Counties

General Information

Purpose of This Election: The June 14th election is in preparation for the November election. If more than one person from a party has filed to run for a particular office, on June 14, voters will select which one will represent their party in the November statewide elections. These elections are particularly important because in June and November, we will be determining who will fill all SC legislature seats (statehouse and senate), one US senate seat, all seven US congressional seats, 10 solicitors, and many county seats will be filled.

Who Can Vote in this Election? Any registered voter can vote in the primary of their choice. For example, Democrats can vote in the Republican primary and vice versa. You cannot, however, vote in both on the same day. The poll managers should ask all voters when they arrive, “In which party’s primary do you wish to vote today?”

Hours: Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. If you are in the line by 7:00 pm, you are supposed to be allowed to vote.

Where Do I Vote? See Sample Ballot section below

Runoff Info: If a run-off is necessary, it will be held on June 28, 2016. If you voted in the primary election, you can only vote in the same party’s runoff. If you are an eligible voter that did not vote in a primary, you can vote in either party’s runoff.

SC Photo ID Law in Effect! To cast your ballot, you must have ONE of the following five forms of photo ID (unexpired):

1. SC Drivers License 2. SC ID issued from the DMV 3. Military ID which also includes a VA benefits ID 4. US Passport 5. SC Voter Registration Card WITH Photo (can be obtained from a Voter Registration office free of charge)

If you do not have any of the above listed 5 forms, you should still be allowed to vote using a paper ballot and signing an affidavit stating a reason why you do not have a photo ID. Please read additional info about this here.

Getting Started: Get Your Sample Ballot

To get your sample ballot, go to South Carolina’s official election website by clicking HERE. On this page, you will see a form where you enter your county, name, and date of birth. Click “Submit”. A Voter Information page will come up with all your voter registration information. Make sure to verify it is your correct registration by checking the address.

Your Voter Information page will:

 Tell you if you are still listed as a valid voter in South Carolina  Tell you where you are to vote (some voting locations may now be different)  Tell you your voting district numbers  Provide you the link to your sample ballot where you can get a listing of all your candidates

Click the Blue “View Sample Ballot” bottom at the bottom of the page for YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT

You will be asked which party. You can vote in either party’s primary so it is probably best to download both ballots to see the candidates on each ballot. If you are a Democrat and there are no candidates running in your Democratic primary, it would most likely be to your advantage to vote in the Republican primary, particularly in those cases when the June primaries will most likely determine your final representative. This is particularly true if you live in Berkeley or Dorchester counties.

The Candidates

IMPORTANT NOTE: The list below provides information on ALL primary candidates running for office in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, therefore all candidates will not appear on your sample ballot you downloaded above. Search the list below for information on candidates on your ballot which will differ depending on your county and district.

The list is divided by candidates in the Democratic and Republican primaries. Remember you must vote in one or the other, not both.

Democrats: Use this list for info if you choose to vote in the Democratic Primary

State Senate District 42

Robert Ford is challenging his successor in an effort to regain the seat he previously held before resigning in 2013 pending ethics violations. He pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of violating rules regarding the spending of campaign funds. If elected, his focus would be a livable wage of $15 per hour, $1 million dollars to each of the five Black religious colleges, a $75 Million Dollar bond for S.C. State University, 8 more minority and 10 more female judges, and 40,000 new South Carolina jobs. is the incumbent who succeeded . Although a freshman senator, he has quickly become a strong voice on issues dealing with increasing affordable housing and protection for workers. Two major incidents in his district has directed much of his attention to gun reform where he advocated strongly for the bill that required law enforcement body cameras, supported a bill to require background checks before a commercial gun sale took place and attempted to kill a bill that allowed anyone with a Georgia concealed weapon license to carry in SC as well. He successfully pushed for the removal of the Confederate flag at the State House. He supports ethics reform and disclosure of “dark money” used generally for political attack ads. He has supported incentives for businesses to hire people who have been released from prison to encourage their rehabilitation. He supports a gas tax increase to tackle the extensive deterioration of the state’s roads and bridges. Kimpson recognizes that Dist. 42 is at the center of growing commerce and believes that constituents need someone at the table who can successfully articulate issues for those who have been disenfranchised, in order to reduce the economic gap between blacks and whites. Kimpson has received endorsement of Charleston Mayor; Charleston County Democratic Chair, Brady Quirk-Garvan; Rev. Dr. Larry D. Goss, Sr.; Attorney Erika V. Harrison, North Charleston City Councilwoman Virginia Jamison; Women's Rights Advocate, Jennet Robinson Alterman; ILA Local 1422 membership, and SC AFL-CIO. Website, Facebook, State House page w/background and voting info.

The winner of this primary will be the state senator for this area as there is no Republican challenger.

State Senate District 116

Robert L. Brown, Incumbent since 2001 from Hollywood, State House page w/background and voting info,

Eric L. Mack, minister who currently is the West Ashley representative on the Charleston County School Board. Before that he served three consecutive 4-year terms on the Charleston County Constituent School Board. See website for his areas of focus. Website

Charleston County Council District 07

Patrick H. Bell, a real estate broker with work on numerous planning and land use committees, Charleston County Planning Commission Member who has a focus on revitalizing West Ashley. Website

Ruth Jordan, Former Charleston county school board chair, who stated that smart growth and effective traffic planning are key issues as the communities of Ashleyville, Maryville, Lenevar and Orleans Woods face increasing redevelopment. She said this district contained more blacks as homeowners than any other area in the region and for those middle class families, constituent services such as police and fire protection and liveability are the critical issues. She hopes to become the second Black woman on the council. This is the district seat being vacated by Colleen Condon. The outcome in District 7 will help determine the balance of power on Charleston County Council, which currently has a 5-4 Democratic majority. ______

Republicans: Use the list below for info if you choose to vote in the Republican Primary

U. S. House of Representatives District 01

Jenny Horne, who represented Summerville in the House of Representatives since 2006 now wants to represent the area at the national level. She says the district needs more active representation in Washington than Sanford provides and feels that Sanford hasn’t done anything for the state of South Carolina in the eight years she has been in office. She says that she gets things done at both the state and federal level including ordering an audit of the troubled state DSS in 2012, passing legislation to require licensing of home health care providers and pushing through legislation to expand mental health treatment. She is the state legislator whose rousing speech urging the SC House members to remove the Confederate flag received national attention last year. Website, Facebook

Mark Sanford, Incumbent. Former governor of SC whose political career has survived the scandal of an affair while in office and visits to see the person at taxpayer expense. He continues to have personal distractions associated with the affair. Sanford points to his record of job growth as governor and in facilitating a project to deepen the Charleston Harbor as a congressman and his efforts to block drilling of the SC coast. Wikipedia Page, Website

State Senate District 34

Reese Boyd, a Conway attorney with of Davis & Boyd, LLC and former law partner of candidate Goldfinch below, chairman of the Palmetto Family Council, has served as the Vice Chairman of the Republican Party. His focus issues are to reduce the size and scope of government; fight against abortions, and fight to bear arms. Can find nothing on website about education, services that government should provide to its citizens, jobs, or health. : Website

Joe Ford, general contractor from Pawley’s Island. He believes that elected officials and government bureaucrats are serving themselves and special interests and covering up wrong doing. See his positions HERE, Facebook

Stephen Goldfinch, currently in SC House of Representatives, Facebook, Website, Statehouse Info

Dick Withington, Horry County businessman who was arrested at the end of March and charged with inducement to file for, or withdraw from, candidacy for election. A judge ruled that he had some merits and turned the case over to be heard before a jury. See website for his positions: Website State Senate District 37

Larry Grooms, Incumbent since 1997, Bonneau resident, member of numerous Legislative Committees including Chair of Transportation Legislative Committee; Member, Transportation Committee-CHATS Charleston area since 1998; member of Information & Technology Committee for American Legislative Exchange Council since 2000, the nonprofit organization of legislators, very large companies, and very wealthy people that drafts and shares pro-business state-level legislation for enactment throughout the country. His positions on Website, Facebook

Mark Robin Heath, runs an insurance brokerage business. His top priorities are ethics reform (closing the lobbyist loophole); Department of Transportation (making sure there are no increases in taxes even to fix roads); protecting the press and gun-owner rights. He states he will never vote for a tax increase and believes in increasing penalties for crimes that involve the use of an illegal firearm in a crime. Website, Facebook

The winner of this primary will be the state senator for this area as there is no Democratic challenger.

State Senate District 38

Sean Bennett, 3 year incumbent, Summerville resident, said his passion is job growth and providing better career opportunities. Website, Facebook

Evan Guthrie, a 33 year old attorney, who has run for several local offices unsuccessfully. His focus is on serving the people, fixing the local government fund, transforming the Department of Transportation, fixing existing roads before starting new projects. He wants to allow counties to eliminate state- mandated services if the county doesn’t receive funding to pay for it (which could mean an endless number of programs could simply not be offered in a particular county). He wants to eliminate conflicts of interest in the General Assembly and favors restrictions on how politicians spend campaign funds. His campaign is self-funded. He serves on the Board of Habitat for Humanities and has been an advocate of local education. He plans to have perfect attendance in the legislature. Website

The winner of the primary will be the next Senator for this district as there is no Democratic challenger for November.

State Senate District 41

This election is to fill the seat being vacated by Senator .

Culver Kidd, a prosecutor. One of the few candidates putting a high priority on improved education. He is also interested in addressing sentencing. See platform here: Website, Facebook Tim Mallard, a former Charleston City Council member and president of Mallard & Associates Issues Per Website

Roy Maybank, Maybank Lawfirm, Positions on Website

Joe Qualey, has dropped out the race but name is still on the ballot

Sandy Senn, a lawyer who has worked as general counsel for the SC Sheriff’s Association. Issues on Website

State House of Representatives District 15

Samuel Rivers Jr., Incumbent, very pro-business, an advocate for funding of other types of school choices. He has recently been accused of offering Elaine Barnett a job and commissions in Berkeley County in return for her dropping out of the Berkeley County Council District 3 Primary race. News article HERE. The incident report Here. River’s position on Website Statehouse info

Steven Smith, a pastor who works in corporate finance for Verizon Wireless. He ran unsuccessfully against S.C. House District 109’s Democratic incumbent David Mack in 2008. Positions here: Website

The winner of this election will face Democratic opponent Michael Kearney Jr. in the general election.

State House of Representatives District 94

Katie Arrington, Vice President of Sales Operations Military and Government at Dispersive Technologies, Inc. who says she is frustrated by the failures of politicians. She calls herself a “patriot” and strong supporter of the Constitution. She wants to fix the “broken” General Assembly. She is not a college graduate but feels that she has been successful through her hard work. Platform Here: Website, Facebook

Carroll Duncan, serves on Dorchester County Council and is the former Chairman of the Dorchester Co. GOP. Education is a top talking point, favors lower taxes and “less government intrusion”. Endorsed by Gov. Haley. Positons Here: Website, Facebook

This is the seat formally held by Jennie Horne who is now running against .

State House of Representatives District 110

William S. Cogswell, Jr., owner of WECCO, a real estate development firm that specializes in renovation historical commercial properties in Charleston and Savannah. One of his projects is the Cigar Factory. He says that the district is facing unprecedented growth and that better infrastructure planning and budgeting are needed to relieve some pressure and these are his areas of expertise. He will also focus on ethics reform to make the government more accountable to the people, ensure every child has access to a good education, support local technical school programs, balance the budget, and protect the state’s natural resources. Website

Will Freeman, who works in the tourism industry; focus on Infrastructure Reform and fixing roads, passing the SC Fair Tax Act, education reform, cutting and streamlining regulations. Facebook, Website

Russell Guerard, a real estate broker who also ran against Limehouse in 2014; Positions Here Website

Trey Harrell, an attorney, a former criminal prosecutor and son of former SC House Speaker Bobby Harrell. His important issues are infrastructure, education, taxes, second amendment rights, and the sanctity of life along with fighting for a limited government when comes to businesses. Positions Here: Website, Facebook

Eddie Phipps, an attorney, former Mt. Pleasant police officer. He is active in local affairs, attending most town council meetings. His mother was Mt. Pleasant’s Clerk of Court for over 25 years. His priorities are roads, education (provide parents and students more choices and preparing graduates for a 21st century economy), and jobs. He says that good jobs grow from great schools. He has been endorsed by the former Mt. Pleasant mayor and his former boss, retired Mt. Pleasant police chief, Harry Sewell. Website Facebook

Seat vacated by the retirement of Chip Limehouse

State House of Representatives District 112

Patrick A W Cloud, boat captain and conservationist, focus on no long-term politicians. Issues on Website, Facebook

Mike Sottile, Incumbent, Statehouse page w/background info & voting records HERE, Issues on Website

State House of Representatives District 116

Charles Glover Sr., Constituent District 23 School Board Chair

Carroll O’Neal, farmer, construction company owner, Website, Facebook

Will run against longtime incumbent Democrat, Robert Brown in December

Dorchester County Sheriff

Robert Biddle, former Lt. suspended his campaign due to health reasons L. C. Knight, Incumbent since Ray Nash retired in 2009. Says he is a good steward of money and will spend it well. Indicated that the low officer retention rates were due to low salaries which has now been solved by increases by county council.

Ray Nash, former Dorchester County Sheriff who retired in 2009 but now wants the job back. Nash says that he knows what it takes to fix some of the problems in Dorchester County and he teaches other people how to do it. He wants to come back and serve his county again.

Dorchester Coroner

Paul Brouthers, a retired SC State Trooper who served in that position for 28 years. Currently a funeral home director and embalmer. He feels that as a funeral director, he has experience with interacting with grieving families and he takes care of their loved ones. Website, Facebook

Mike Giglio, has worked for Dorchester County for 20 years as a detective, for EMS, and now as a Patrol Sergeant with the Sheriff’s office which gives him actual experience in death investigations. He says his investigation experience is vast from homicides, suicides, natural or accidental deaths, drowning, attacks by pets. He wants to restore integrity to the office. Website

Wayne H. Reeves, resident of Dorchester county for 63 years, former Deputy with the Department of Natural Resources, former County Coucilman and detention officer in Charleston County. He is now Senior Pastor of New Life Ministry in Summerville. Established the local 911. Feels that the coroner’s role is meant for someone with compassion and people skills. He says he isn’t looking for a career but there to serve. He feels that as a pastor, he has dealt with the compassion that is needed with families after death and he’s been there for the long term with families with losses. Website

The former coroner was removed from office after nearly 20 years of service by Governor Haley for misconduct in office.

Charleston County Council 07

Chris Cannon, member of the Executive Committee for the Republican party, Johns Island Council; has run unsuccessfully for House of Representatives seven times

Paul Gangarosa, an adjunct professor in public health at the College of Charleston, Founder and President of the Board of the Lowcountry Herald whose goal is to end homelessness. He also owns Charleston Laser Skeet. As a longtime resident of West Ashley, his vision is improving the community, reducing traffic congestion, addressing affordable housing, and addressing the need for common sense laws and regulations. Gangarosa also served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer, and retired as a First Lieutenant. Website

Brantley Moody, Charleston banker/ businessman, son of City Councilman Bill Moody and brother of former School Board Chair Brian Moody. Positions Here: Website John Steinberger, former county GOP Chairman, Tea Party and “Fair” Tax advocate who supported Donald Trump in the most recent presidential primary. Focused on limiting government services to only basics; backs finishing the Interstate 526 loop but against adding a bike lane onto the car lane over the Ashley River into Charleston. Other positions on Youtube Here.

This is to fill the seat vacated by Collen Condon who decided not to seek a fourth term.

Berkeley County Council 03

Ken Gunn, Incumbent, who says he will only do two terms. Recent allegations have been made by his opponent (see note below). He says the things that make him proud since being in office are: Sheriff’s Department and EMS in better shape; four new officers and the third floor of the jail opened; added seven ambulances and established a replacement fleet program; passed a $20 million bond that will update EMS communications to modern age; now building a stormproof 911 center that can withstand a hurricane at no cost to the taxpayers. He is a Vietnam veteran, a former employee of GE Plastics, a former medic and a former volunteer firefighter. Facebook

Elaine Barnett, a chaplain at Calvary Church of God in Christ, first time running for office. She is an African American female who says that she has worked with all parties but has chosen the Republican party this time because when decisions have to be made, to her, they make some of the best decisions. They’re doing the right thing and from their hearts. Her primary focus is safety of children in school, guns, drugs and the war on drugs. She is for the 1 cent sales tax for road repairs and favorable toward incentives for new businesses. There have been recent allegations made against Legislator Samuel Rivers and Tim Callanan, who serves as chairman for Berkeley County’s Republican party, for attempting to get Elaine Barnett to drop out of the District 3 race by offering her a job and commissions. Full story HERE; Incident report click here.