South-Carolina

Meet the candidates: South Carolina General Assembly Senate and House races

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

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.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 5, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 5, 2026

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 0-3-7, FB: 2

Evening: 4-1-2, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 6-0-1-3, FB: 2

Evening: 4-0-5-9, FB: 5

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 5 drawing

Midday: 14

Evening: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 5 drawing

18-21-30-31-42

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South-Carolina

SC legislature considers legal sports betting – again

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Will Jordan was introduced to sports betting through his coworkers during his sophomore year at the University of South Carolina.

Jordan, a senior, still makes bets today, including a losing wager on this year’s Superbowl. But his outlook on the practice changed after he saw the impact on his friends and others his age, he said. Jordan tends to keep his betting to simply the outcome of a game. But he sees his friends getting more and more into obscure proposition bets. Those are wagers on smaller, individual events or statistics connected to a game, including individual players’ performances.

The amount of advertising for gambling and the expansion of less-regulated alternatives disturb Jordan, he said.

“I’ve just really gotten turned off and a little bit frightened for the future on these sportsbooks,” Jordan said. “When I first got introduced to it, it was obviously a lot more novel for me. But now it’s starting to get a little concerning.”

Jordan uses traditional betting apps such as BetMGM and Bet365 in his home state of Virginia, where betting on a game is legal. In South Carolina he uses Fliff, the first app he was introduced to. Fliff uses an in-app currency, so players are betting with house money, and thus falls under sweepstakes regulations instead of gambling laws.

But legal sports betting and a casino may be in South Carolina’s future if state legislators pass two bills in the Statehouse. Casinos and sportsbooks came up in the 2025 legislative session but failed to make it into law.

Supporters say legalization will bring economic benefits and make gambling safer, but opponents point to the dangers of gambling addiction.

If South Carolina approves sports betting, it would join a growing number of states that allow online sportsbooks.

The impact of gambling

Only one state had a legal sportsbook in 2017, according to a study from researchers at the University of California at San Diego.

Seven years later, that number rose to 38.

USC Professor Stephen Shapiro broke sports bettors into a few categories, including fanatics, moderates and casuals, for research he has done on the industry. More casual gamblers tend to be older, while younger gamblers increasingly fall into the fanatic group, he said.

Shapiro began his studies around the time of the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the door for wide legalization of sports gambling.

Shapiro’s work doesn’t focus on gambling addiction, but he takes it into account. Online sports betting has a higher risk for problem gambling as result of its greater accessibility and the ability to place in-game bets. Traditionally, a gambler would bet on which team wins. But now bettors can gamble on what actions certain players make or the exact score at the end of a quarter.

“The fact that you can do almost an infinite amount of bets within a game just sets up a landscape for problem betting,” Shapiro said.

The betting market is new and unsaturated, leading companies to spend billions on marketing. Ads pop up everywhere – on phones, computers and televisions. Each time a state legalizes betting, a new market appears. And where sports wagering is already legal, there are millions of sports fans who could be potential gamblers, Shapiro said.

Counselor Laura Nicklin treats patients with gambling disorders at LRADAC, a Columbia nonprofit agency that runs a treatment center for substance abuse and other addictions.

There are various criteria used to define gambling addiction, Nicklin said. They include whether someone’s gambling causes them distress or interferes with their employment or relationships.

The legality of any potentially addictive activity has an effect on the risk of addiction, Nicklin said.

“When something’s legal, people are more likely to engage in it … whether that’s substances or gambling,” Nicklin said. “When you’re more likely to engage, you’re more likely to become addicted to it.”

The accessibility of gambling on the phone presents another problem. It can be used to pass the time just like other addictive activities such as social media use, Nicklin said.

“It can be something you do just to numb out when you’re feeling stressed,” Nicklin said. “Pull out your phone, numb out doing any of those activities, including gambling on an app.”

Access to apps and digital programs can usually be blocked, and accounts can be deleted. But that access can just as easily be restored.

Nicklin and other counselors work with patients to develop coping skills to combat these challenges.

Inability to cope with past issues is a common lead-up to addictive disorders, Nicklin said.

“Almost everybody I see coming in with some sort of addiction has some old wounds, like trauma wounds, grief, unmet needs that they’ve been unable to address,” Nicklin said.

Unlike substance abusers, gamblers are not directly ingesting chemicals that affect the brain’s chemistry. But the dopamine rush brought on by betting can act in a similar fashion and fulfill the same role in addressing unmet needs.

Getting to the bottom of those past experiences is one of the first steps in treatment.

What counts as gambling?

Another area Shapiro wants to explore are prediction markets.

Users can put money down on the outcome of future events with these services, but they are regulated as financial instruments such as stocks instead of betting services.

Kalshi and Polymarket are two major players in this field, but financial apps like Robinhood and Webull have also expanded into these services.

“It acts very much like gambling,” Shapiro said.

Using Robinhood, a South Carolina resident can buy a contract on whether a Gamecock team wins its next basketball game. Sports betting is illegal in South Carolina, but the legal status of prediction markets allows this bet to be made.

Kalshi and Polymarket “are the two biggest culprits right now for people my age in regards to sports betting,” Jordan said.

An ongoing lawsuit might change that.

South Carolina Gambling Recovery LLC filed the lawsuit against Kalshi, Robinhood, Webull and the international trading and technology firm Susquehanna last year. The LLC, which incorporated in Delaware, asserts that these markets violate South Carolina’s existing gambling regulations.

The legal challenge was filed in Oconee County, South Carolina, before the federal court system took it up.

Shapiro wonders why consumers would choose between traditional sports betting and prediction markets in states where the former is legal. He also wants to research how the prediction markets influence how sports fans consume games.

Traditional casinos and sportsbooks are split on this new formula.

Some lobby against the practice. Others, such as FanDuel, are starting their own prediction markets to offer alongside existing betting mechanisms.

The industry addresses the state

Representatives from Caesars Entertainment, FanDuel and PrizePicks advocated for legal sportsbetting in front of a Senate subcommittee last month.

Legal sportsbooks would provide a regulated, taxable avenue for an activity many South Carolinians already take part in by going across state lines or using illegal services, they said.

FanDuel has “cutting-edge, responsible gaming tools, ” said Louis Trombetta, director of government relations for the sportsbook and former executive director for Florida’s gaming commission.

The programs track user activity and can slow things down if odd behavior emerges, he said. If a gambler usually places small bets and suddenly makes a $1,000 wager, the system flags it for the company to check in on.

Gambling companies want to make money, but unhealthy habits among customers can be a problem for bookmakers in the long term, he said.

“We want our customers to be enjoying our product without becoming problem gamblers,” Trombetta said. “That is the goal.”

Opponents to legalization showed up as well. President Steve Pettit of the conservative Palmetto Family Alliance told the committee that betting systems rely on those who struggle with gambling, particularly young men.

“Recreational gambling is like a campfire,” Pettit said. “Problem gambling is when the fire escapes the ring or the pit. And pathological gambling is like a wildfire. Legalized, phone-based betting does not contain the fire. It places an ignition in every pocket.”

The Palmetto Family Alliance has made this argument before. The organization began as the Legacy Alliance Foundation, which formed to fight video poker decades ago.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 4, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing

07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 4-6-9, FB: 3

Evening: 1-2-4, FB: 3

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 1-3-2-3, FB: 3

Evening: 4-6-4-8, FB: 3

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 09

Evening: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 4 drawing

03-29-30-35-38

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing

05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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