With an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent in August, Georgetown County’s path forward depends on finding ways to create more jobs, just as it does in most other areas across South Carolina and the country.

Both men vying for the House District 103 seat have taken aim at improving things at the Port of Georgetown as one way to achieve that goal.

Incumbent Rep. Carl Anderson, D, will face petition candidate Tom Winslow on Nov. 6

Winslow was among several candidates across the state that were removed from the primary ballot after a pair of state Supreme Court decisions ruled that non-incumbent candidates who failed to file their financial and candidacy papers at the same time were ineligible to run. That left candidates like Winslow to collect signatures from at least 5 percent of registered voters in the district in order to run as petition candidates in the general election.

Anderson, who could not be reached for comment by telephone or email last week, has held the seat since 2004. He is a minister and insurance agent, and serves on several legislative committees including labor and commerce and industry, according to his official House biography.

He sponsored the House version of a resolution to the U.S. Congressional delegation to “use their best efforts to have included in the 2012 federal budget adequate funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct maintenance dredging of the Port of Georgetown.”

Winslow, 32, an attorney, said he wants to bring jobs to the district, which includes Georgetown County and portions of Horry and Williamsburg counties.

He sees the dredging of the Georgetown port as a key to the success of the economy of District 103. Winslow said the port has been overlooked for about 10 years and he wants to restructure how ports are funded and implement a Georgetown Port Authority.

“We must dredge the port, but we must also create the infrastructure that allow businesses and visitors easy entrance and exit from the district. Business will facilitate the growth that will provide the jobs we need,” Winslow said.

“Businesses don't only need the port and roads completed they need basic sewer and water in order to handle their employees and customers. We have many communities that have an incredible need for jobs and if we can bring those communities businesses that fit into the culture and character the residents want, we as representatives should work to help them.”

Business owners have told him that government overregulation, taxes and interference in production and shipping are obstacles to increasing their businesses enough to need to hire more employees, he said.

“Many local businesses are running at 50 percent to 65 percent capacity and needs government to get out of the way and create the needed infrastructure so we can get the jobs many people desperately need,” he said.

Contact TONYA ROOT at 444-1723.