MYRTLE BEACH — STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 104

Name | Greg Duckworth

Age | 47

Address | 2412 Watson Drive, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Campaign Address| P.O. Box 4156, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Occupation | licensed professional landscape architect in S.C., N.C. and National Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards Certified

Education | Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, West Virginia University, College of Agriculture and Forestry, 1987

Political experience | Elected to North Myrtle Beach City Council 2001, serving third 4-year term

Civic groups | Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 888 2005-2011; venturing crew leader for Boy Scout Troop 888 2011-present; life member of National Eagle Scout Association; Huntington Society, Brookgreen Gardens; life member of Appalachian Trail Conference; was involved in Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of SC, team in training, American Lung Association of SC, bike treks, Friends of Scouting, Waccamaw Community Foundation Chairman’s Circle, Santee Cooper Green Power Partner, Horry County Solid Waste Authority Recycling Partner; donated time and services as landscape architect for Playgrounds for King of Glory Lutheran Church, North Myrtle Beach Primary School, St. Andrew Catholic School, the Myrtle Beach YMCA, Boundless Adventure in Horry County, City of North Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center, J. Bryan Floyd Community Center, city gateways, public beach accesses, and wayfinding signage, Grand Strand Humane Society, Horry County Animal Shelter, the Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach, Habitat for Humanity, Beach Haven Rescue Shelter, 911 Memorial at Broadway at the Beach, Boy Scouts of America, Camp Coker, Campus Design for the First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach, Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church, Edwards College of Arts and Humanities Courtyard at Coastal Carolina University, Beautification Plans for North Myrtle Beach Primary, the S.C. Department of Transportation Beautiful Spaces Project, Arbor Day Tree Plans for S.C. 22 Conway Bypass.

Military | United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla #070-12-02 (member, inactive status)

Family | wife, Christine (Crissy), married for 20 years, two sons, Brandon, 18, and Trevor, 16

Email/website | gduckman@aol.com/www.gregoryduckworth.com

Question | What’s one specific thing you can do as a representative to improve life for those who live in District 104?

Answer | I will work to provide a fresh perspective for District 104 in Columbia that will bring creative, long-term solutions to the State House by limiting government, fostering our entrepreneurial spirit, and cooperating with other state and local officials to bring a better quality of life to our region. I promise to be a representative that is dedicated, present, and that will always make the people of District 104 proud.

Name | Tracy Edge (i)

Age | 45

Address | 1423 Edge Drive, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Occupation | real estate and motel owner

Education | master’s degree in business from West Virginia University in 1991 and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of South Carolina in 1989, Doctor of Humane Letters from Medical University of South Carolina

Political experience | North Myrtle Beach City Council 1994-1996, state house of representatives from 1996 to present serving as senior budget writer, named Legislator of the Year by 34 different organizations

Civic groups | S.C. Hall of Fame board, co-chairman of S.C. I -73/74 committee, Governors School for Science and Math Foundation, NBSC advisory board, delegate to republican national convention 2000, 2004, and 2008

Military | none

Family | wife, Melissa, daughter, Hannah, son, Pierce

Email/website | schousegop@aol.com

Question | What’s one specific thing you can do as a representative to improve life for those who live in District 104?

Answer | My seniority, work ethic, and experience as the only budget writer along the coast has allowed our area to get funding for highway improvements, beach and waterway improvements, tourism advertising funding, and key heath care improvements. Without my seniority and ways and means subcommittee chairmanships we would not have obtained the funding of 105 million dollars to build the Robert Edge parkway or 7 million to widen highway 17, eliminating about half of the property taxes on our homes and eliminating all taxes on medicine as well as a 40 percent reduction of auto taxes. In summary I can continue to wield great influence over our state budget and our tax policy in order to enhance our quality of life. I am in the position to continue this work for the people of district 104.

*Candidate Gary Stephens declined to talk with The Sun News.

Tracy Edge, the incumbent for State House District 104, said Interstate 74, lower taxation, and dredging Georgetown’s port would make the Grand Strand more attractive for job recruitment while Greg Duckworth, one of Edge’s challengers, said the area needs to focus on bringing in higher paying jobs, and expand on what the area already has to offer.

“The port and I-74 not only benefit South Carolina, but Horry County, and makes us more competitive than we’ve been with any other county in South Carolina,” said Edge, who is a proponent for I-74 tying in with the northern end of Carolina Bays Parkway.

A $1 million split between Interstate 73 and Interstate 74 is the only money dedicated by the state for either road, Edge said. He said the next step in the road construction process is an environmental impact study, in which enough money has been accumulated to do the more than $3 million study.

“The interstate access we need because that’s what manufacturing companies look for and because it provides traffic relief for the North Myrtle Beach and Little River area,” Edge said.

He said the state has also set aside matching funds for dredging of Georgetown’s port, which is also essential to Horry County for manufacturing.

“We wanted to make sure we’re not overlooked,” Edge said. “The ports and highways are vital.”

Edge said the state House also passed this year a bill, which he sponsored, to lower taxation - from 10.5 percent to 6 percent - on property use and equipment use for manufacturing.

In the past year, manufacturing has had the strongest job growth of any sector in the state, adding 7,800 jobs, according to the latest statistics from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

Jobs have been slowly returning to the Grand Strand. In Horry County, there were 836 more jobs in April than there were in April 2011, said Rob Salvino, a research economist at Coastal Carolina University. Georgetown County had 250 more jobs in April than it did in the same month last year.

Salvino has said the year-over-year employment numbers are a positive sign that there is growth, though it’s slow growth. Construction jobs continue to lag, with 2,600 fewer jobs in that sector statewide in April than there were during the same month last year, according to the employment department.

The Grand Strand has recently landed some new year-round jobs. Target is hiring about 200 workers for a new store opening this summer in the Myrtle Beach area, and Frontier Communications announced in May that it is opening a call center in the Myrtle Beach area that will create 110 jobs.

Duckworth said the job statistics tell him that the area should not only focus on service industry jobs but higher-paying jobs.

“Our area is unique being we’re on the coast,” Duckworth said. “Half of the geographical boundary is surrounded by water, we’re not near an Interstate, but we have decent roads. We have some nice universities and colleges in the area, we’re still lacking in that area.

“We need to start at the beginning and have a comprehensive, systematic economic plan. We need to look at current education programs, what we have and what we can do to make them better. We need to have an open dialogue. We want to encourage higher-paying jobs in our area.

“Eventually we will see some Interstates come here,” Duckworth continued. “First we need to get a foundation established and work hand-in-hand. What can we all do together to sell ourselves to the nation that we mean business here on the Grand Strand.”

The North Strand Coastal Wind Team, according to Duckworth, is taking that comprehensive approach and has started to guide the way, which could create jobs. The team’s mission, in part, is to develop wind energy resources for North Myrtle Beach by acting as a liaison to attract wind energy businesses and by representing North Myrtle Beach on the subject of offshore wind farms, according to its web site.

Duckworth, a North Myrtle Beach city councilman, and Gary Stephens, both Republican challengers, will try to defeat GOP incumbent Edge for the District 104 seat in Tuesday’s primary.

The winner will face Democrat Charles Randall in the November general election.

Stephens declined to talk with The Sun News.

When it comes to his opponent Edge, Duckworth questions whether Edge has been doing his job in Columbia, claiming that he has been absent nearly 40 percent of the time for votes in the last two years.

“He’s not doing the job he was sent to Columbia to do,” Duckworth said. “Taxpayers need to be aware of it when they go to the poll. He’s not a responsible representative. He doesn’t return calls, is hard to find, and out of touch with his constituency.”

Edge, who said he has heard Duckworth talk about his voting attendance from last year, said he has missed some votes, not days in Columbia, due to the illness and death of his mother last year.

“For him to attack me for that is despicable,” said Edge, who said he also missed some legislation dates this year due to conflicting meeting dates with the Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management, of which he is a committee member.

Edge, who said he is and has been accessible to anyone, said North Myrtle Beach has received more money from the state over the last 5 years, with him bringing home more funding for the area by working with the state House and Senate.

“You don’t do that without cooperation and building coalitions,” Edge said.

For Duckworth, “voters have grown weary of the representation they are receiving, and need a fresh perspective and a team player in Columbia.”

Contact JANELLE FROST at 443-2404.