After 30 years, Horry County coroner has made his decision for upcoming local election
Horry County Coroner Robert Edge plans to file for reelection one last time.
After serving the county for three decades — and being unopposed aside from one election — Edge said he intends to put his name in the hat for one more four-year term.
“I guess I want to have a little more time to vacation and travel,” Edge said about his decision to run one more time. “I’m 69, and if I can do one more term, that will put me at about 74, 75. It’ll be time for someone else to take the reins.”
His goals in a last term would be to get a new and larger facility and to also do in-house autopsies, instead of at the hospital.
“For us to be more efficient, a new facility would be a tremendous help,” he said.
As of now, no other potential candidates have come forward with intentions to run against Edge.
Edge has signed thousands of death certificates during his time as coroner and the department has expanded to five assistant coroners to help with the increase of calls. When he first began, he was handling 150 calls per year, which he could do on his own, but the department now averages about 2,500 per year.
Edge said in a 2018 profile story by The Sun News that being coroner isn’t just about showing up to a scene where someone has died — it’s also being a comforter and investigator.
“You’ve got to be the rock that they lean on,” he previously said. “The most gratifying part of it is being able to sit down and be there for someone who has had a loss.”
Originally from North Myrtle Beach, the longtime coroner once served on Horry County Council. He graduated from Wampee High School and grew up fishing in Crescent Beach. And he sure enjoys a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
After decades, Edge and his family still run the Ocean Edge motel in North Myrtle Beach, which he said would definitely keep him busy in retirement.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 11:23 AM.
