South-Carolina
Meet the candidates: South Carolina General Assembly Senate and House races
Throughout Greenville County, eight Senate and 16 House seats are on the general election ballot with 11 contested races. S.C. Senate candidates Rex F. Rice (R-District 2), Tom Corbin (R-District 5), Jason Elliott (R-District 6), Karl B. Allen (D-District 7), and Shane Martin (R-District 13), and S.C. House candidates Neal Collins (R-District 5), Thomas Beach (R-District 10), Mark N. Willis (R-District 16), Mike Burns (R-District 17), Alan Morgan (R-District 18), Patrick Haddon (R-District 19), Bobby J. Cox (R-District 21) and Bill Chumley (R-District 35) are running unopposed.
S.C. Senate
District 8
Incumbent: Ross Turner
Party: Republican
Occupation: Small-business owner
Years as a Representative: 12
What are you planning to work on in your next term? I’d like to see the state government move to a results-based budget. With the cost of everything going up, people are being asked to do more with less. It’s time for our government to do the same thing. State agencies and departments need to justify every dollar every year. Taxpayers deserve to know how money is being spent and the results. It won’t be easy, but we can do it. This is something that will help our children and grandchildren achieve the kind of success that makes South Carolina a place where they will want to raise their families.
Challenger: Taylor Culliver
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Nonprofit director, Center for Courage & Renewal
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? My priority is empowering everyone in our community with the freedom and opportunity to live a good life. That includes making housing, health care and child care more affordable for hard-working families, investing in smarter growth and stronger infrastructure, restoring reproductive freedom so that women and families can make their own health care decisions alongside their doctors, championing public education, passing common-sense gun-safety laws, and expanding economic opportunity for all. I think it’s important that all of our constituents feel they have a representative that will listen to them and focus on the priorities that will make their lives better.
District 9
Incumbent: Danny Verdin
Party: Republican
Occupation: Farmer and small-business owner
Years as a Representative: 23
What are you planning to work on in your next term? As the chairman of the Senate Medical Affairs committee, I have used that leadership role to push for important conservative causes like protecting the unborn, providing lower costs, higher quality health care options, and rejecting experimental ‘woke’ medical procedures that harm our children. This committee plays an important role in maintaining the health and security for children, adult families and the vulnerable alike. I have a proven record of leading on these issues, and others, and will continue to do so when re-elected to the Senate.
Challenger: C. Randy Driggers
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Former embalmer/funeral director
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? Social Security benefits, a minimum of 50% increase on all who worked 35 years or more. All benefits cut off on anyone who reaches the wealth of $1 million. Health care 100% free after first five years straight full time of employment then free for life with 35 years employment. Fair housing in America is gone, the fix, a new capital gains and a rental tax imposed 35%-50%. Current tax laws brought out every Wall Street wolf. Until this happens it will never be fair again. No taxes on $75,000 single $100,000 married. It’s time the rich are taxed.
District 12
Candidate: Roger Nutt
Party: Republican
Occupation: Owner of TNC Engineering and Development LLC
Years as a representative: 4
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? Tort reform, working on making an easier path for adoptions, tax reform, etc.
Candidate: Octavia Amaechi
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Family physician
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? In my first term, I will focus on protecting reproductive freedom, enhancing health care access and improving education. I aim to ensure that health care decisions remain private between patients and their doctors, advocate for Medicaid expansion to lower uninsured rates, and support comprehensive educational reform with better funding for schools and competitive teacher salaries. These initiatives are essential for addressing the immediate needs of our community and setting a strong foundation for future progress in South Carolina.
S.C. House
District 7
S.C. House District 7 candidates Lee Gilreath (Republican) and Hunter Savirino (Libertarian) are on the ballot but did not respond to the Greenville Journal in time for this article’s publication.
District 20
Candidate: Stephen Frank
Party: Republican
Occupation: Commercial insurance
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? South Carolina businesses are suffering from unjust lawsuits that place fault where there is none. We need tort reform, and we need it now.
Candidate: Stephen Dreyfus
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Retired therapist and professor
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? Provide a progressive voice to the State House. Improve public education. Protect the environment. Give women the right to have control over their own bodies. Legalize marijuana. Provide sensible gun legislation so our children can be safe in school. Eliminate needless wasteful spending without jeopardizing necessary government programs. Make daylight-saving time last all year so no one has to reset their clocks. Protect and preserve democracy.
District 22
Candidate: Paul Wickensimer
Party: Republican
Occupation: Retired Greenville County Clerk of Court
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? I will work on improving our roads and bridges, continue to increase our teacher’s salaries so we can attract and retain quality teachers, and build relationships with members of the General Assembly so I can get support to get things done. I also will work with law enforcement to make sure they have they have the funding necessary to pay competitive salaries and the resources they need to deal with career felons, illegal immigrants, gangs and human trafficking. One thing I would like to change, if elected, is to reduce the level of state income taxes South Carolinians are paying.
Candidate: Brann Fowler
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Lawyer
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? My biggest concern is getting our state government back to governing. We need to focus on real issues that affect real people, like traffic, growth, crime and how our state government lost track of $5 billion, rather that arguing about culture war nonsense and canceling book fairs.
S.C. House District 23*
Incumbent: Chandra Dillard
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Director of community relations at Furman University
Years as a Representative: 16
What are you planning to work on in your next term? During the next legislative session, I will continue to provide accessible and accountable leadership to my constituents. I will continue to work collaboratively with my colleagues and other stakeholders for common-sense solutions that advance South Carolina and her residents with a emphasis on affordable housing, financial stability, and community and economic development. One thing I hope to change is the insurance requirements that govern liquor liability for our small-business owners and nonprofits.
*S.C. House District 23 candidate James Archibald Atkins Jr. (Libertarian) is on the ballot but did not respond to the Greenville Journal in time for this article’s publication.
District 24
Incumbent: Bruce Bannister
Party: Republican
Occupation: Attorney
Years as a Representative: 19
What are you planning to work on in your next term? As chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, my top priority is ensuring that our state has a balanced, fiscally responsible budget that prioritizes our needs, invests in our state’s future and keeps taxes low. The rapid growth of Greenville County – and the entire state – means we must be prepared to embrace the opportunities that come with growth. When I speak with my constituents, I hear that they want us to invest in education, support our teachers and improve infrastructure. My position as chairman of Ways & Means gives me unique access to address those needs.
Challenger: Shauna R. Johnson
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Psychiatric nurse practitioner
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? After speaking with countless Republicans, a common ground can be found in most situations. We, as humans, are more alike than we think, and it’s past time we leave partisan politics in the rearview mirror. Our country has become stagnant, as those with the most inflammatory opinions (on both the left and the right sides) are the ones with the microphones. For a change, I would make it my first priority to establish working relationships with both Democrats and Republicans. Bipartisan effort has not been a priority for the SC legislature of late.
District 25
Challenger: Tim Kennedy
Party: Republican
Occupation: Information technology
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? For District 25 I will begin working toward revitalizing and growing economically depressed areas within the district. For South Carolina, I will work to eliminate human trafficking across our state. I will work to improve and protect our education system by removing political and social agendas from school curriculums and focusing on teaching math, science, history, reading, writing, and useful life and career skills.
Incumbent: Wendell Jones
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Pastor/entrepreneur
Years as a Representative: 2
What are you planning to work on in your next term? My legislative focus will continue to be on creating policies that grant greater access to quality education, jobs (includes empowering small businesses), housing and health care. On a grassroots level, we will continue to execute our plans to increase the average household income in District 25, which would alleviate many of the problems the district faces.
District 27
Incumbent: David Vaughan
Party: Republican
Occupation: General contractor
Years as a Representative: 2
What are you planning to work on in your next term? In my upcoming term as the State House representative for District 27, my commitment remains steadfast in promoting transparency and upholding our conservative Republican values. I will focus on protecting life from conception, defending the Constitution and safeguarding our civil liberties. By prioritizing these principles, I aim to ensure that our district’s values are represented with integrity and dedication. Together, we can work toward a future that respects our fundamental rights and upholds the values we cherish.
Challenger: John MacCarthy
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Adjunct lecturer of physics
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? In my first term, I would work to make child care more affordable and available by expanding the current SC Child Care Scholarship Program. The median cost of child care in Greenville County is over $9,000 per child per year. The current program only provides an average of about $1,650 per child and covers less than 6% of the children in the state. I would also work to repeal the six-week abortion ban which is a threat to women’s freedom and the unpermitted open carry of handguns which is a threat to our children, our public safety and law enforcement.
District 28
Candidate: Chris Huff
Party: Republican
Occupation: Self-employed
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? I plan to lessen government overreach and reduce the tax burden on our citizens. One immediate change I would like to see is the end of property taxes. We need to stop propping up big business while small businesses are working just as hard. I look forward to fighting for individual liberty and freedom!
Candidate: Fritz Wiebel
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Retired industrial electrician
What is the one thing you plan to change if elected? If elected I will propose a 10% raise for teachers, fully fund ABC Daycare, more classroom money for teachers, more WI-FI equipped buses, and fully fund the S.C. teacher retirement system. Will not support any more rate increases for Duke. Try to get the tax system in S.C. in line with the federal tax code, to maximize the power of deductions for S.C. taxpayers. Fees and sales tax are not deductible and amount to double taxation. The legalization of cannabis. Both medically and personally. one ounce legal for adults to possess. No selling, five-plant grow limit.