House candidates start the run

Five of the six candidates for the S.C. House District 64 seat were the guests of the Turbeville Ruritan Club Thursday night.

The forum, held at East Clarendon High School, was open to the public.

Only Democratic candidate Alvin Green was absent. Green ran last November for the U.S. Senate Seat against incumbent and winner, Sen. Jim DeMint.

About 100 citizens were present including family members and supporters for the candidates. The presentation was non-confrontational and each candidate was given 10 minutes to make their presentation. The candidates spoke in alphabetical order, except for Summerton’s Bernard Richburg who arrived late.

Barrineau native Derry Beard, who will run as a Republican, took to the podium first. Right off the bat, he stated his position to school district consolidation.

“I am opposed to it,” he said. “Bigger is not always better and this is one of those cases.”

Beard said that if elected, he would focus on industrial growth.

“Most of our industry is going across the water,” he said. “Our biggest industry is farming and we need to support that. Foreign countries like China are busy examining our farming industry. Tobacco is just the tip of the iceberg. They are looking at our cotton, corn and soybean crops as well.”

Manning Mayor Kevin Johnson’s remarks were focused primarily on his government experience.

Johnson has served since 2000 as mayor and is currently serving as president of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

He also served 12 years on the Clarendon District 2 school board and has a 30-year tenure with the S.C. Dept. of Revenue.

“I have what it takes to get the job done,” Johnson said. “Everything I have been involved with has been a team effort and I have always tried to do the right thing and be fair to all concerned.”

Johnson said the biggest challenge S.C. faces is dealing with the budget and the state’s high unemployment rate.

“I believe I am the candidate who will combine education, experience and qualifications to bring leadership to Columbia.”

Goat Island resident Walter “Sonny” Sanders, who will join Beard on the GOP ticket, laid out a four-point economic plan that he would use as a guide if he was elected.

“We cannot keep thinking the same way and expect different results,” he said.

Sanders’ plan includes reducing unemployment, passing a zero-based budget, educating tomorrow’s workforce and supporting the state’s infrastructure.

“A strong private sector economy by the free market creates jobs and prosperity,” Sanders said. “I believe the private sector – and not government – needs to drive our success.”

Current Clarendon County Council Chair Dwight Stewart explained why he believed he was the best candidate for the House District 64 seat.

“I was raised as a fiscal conservative – if you had it, you took care of it; if you broke it, you fixed it,” he said. “In my 20 years of service to the Town Council of Summerton, I served the last 10 years as the finance chairman. I realized then, as I know now, that whether it is government or private industry, good financial management is the key to assure the taxpayers that their dollars are being spent responsibly.”

Stewart said that his fiscal position sometimes requires hard decisions.

“In 2009, we had to cut more than $700,000 from the county’s budget,” he said. “But we did it by cutting costs in all our departments.”

In his private life, Stewart is a forester and has been a fixture in downtown Manning for more than 25 years.

“I am a firm believer in this area’s and this state’s agribusiness,” he noted. “If elected, I would be one of only two representatives who brings that expertise to the House.”

Stewart said that agriculture and forestry bring $34 billion to the state’s economy annually and that he would bring that experience as well as nearly three decades of public service to the people if elected.

Rev. Bernard Richburg, who currently serves on the Clarendon School District 1 School Board, also highlighted our state’s economy, as well as its healthcare system, as critical issues that must be tackled.

“These issues must be addressed with common sense and common courtesy for the common people for the common good,” he said.

Richburg said he would make it his mission to listen and hear the concerns of every citizen, whether it be by letter, phone call, email or personal encounter.

“I will take a stand for all the people of District 64,” he continued. “It is important for us all to come together collectively for the common good of all our citizens.”

Richburg was the only candidate to vow to uphold the practices of both the late Alex Harvin as well as his successor, Cathy Harvin, whose death created the vacancy in the statehouse.

The primaries for that seat will be held on Feb. 15. If no candidate in the Democratic primary receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on March 1. The general election will be held between the Republican and Democratic candidates on April 5. Ballots for those needing to vote as absentees are now available from the Clarendon County Voter’s Registration office, located in the basement of the county courthouse.

Stay in touch with election results by logging onto www.clarendoncitizen.com. See videos of candidates at www.clarendoncitizen.com/multimedia.

Voting results should be posted by midnight in each of the elections.