Candidate profiles: S.C. House District 106

Russell Fry’s June ouster of U.S. Rep. Tom Rice in the state’s 7th congressional district means the Surfside Beach attorney will be leaving Columbia, opening his S.C. House 106 seat up for a competitive race between Republican attorney Val Guest, 62, and 22-year-old Ryan Thompson, a Democrat and former Congressional intern.

Val Guest

Why did you decide to run for office?

I enjoy service for others and feel I have the time, energy and abilities to represent the people of SC District 106 and receive beneficial results for all.

How would South Carolina residents benefit from your leadership?

I will seek results that are honest, straight forward and look out for the interests of the people of South Carolina and District 106.

Do you believe South Carolina’s elections are conducted fairly?

I do believe our elections are conducted fairly.

What legislation would you sponsor?

At the present time, I will seek funds for beach re-nourishment, improving our infrastructure by maintaining our present roads and bridges and plan for new roads to handle the expected growth for our area, as well as funding our law enforcement, first responders and teachers.

Ryan Thompson

Why did you decide to run?

I believe voters deserve a choice when it comes time to cast their ballots. Far too often I have seen positions go uncontested.

We are fortunate to have an opportunity to bring real change to Columbia this November.

During my senior year of college I watched as state representatives in Columbia attacked our state’s education system from K-12 to higher education institutions. I am running to put locals first in decision making processes and make South Carolina a place that all can be proud to call home.

I love my hometown and am proud to be a local of the area, and I hope to give back to the community that has given so much to me.

How would South Carolina residents benefit from your leadership?

I believe that residents would benefit from my leadership because I am a new voice at the decision making table in Columbia and would offer a fresh perspective that is currently missing.

As a first time candidate and recent college graduate, I do not have any special interests influencing me, just the interests of my community.

I have worked on campaigns since I was 17 and have spent the last few years traveling throughout the county and state and hearing the issues of people that are still persistent today.

I have been a leader since I was in high school and have been consistent in my endeavors of trying to better those around me, and create unity within the community.

Do you believe South Carolina’s elections are conducted fairly?

Yes. I believe that with the new election integrity legislation passed in the house that expanded early voting with no excuses is a great step in making sure every South Carolinian has their voice heard.

I do, however, believe that we live in a deeply gerrymandered state that favors non-competitive district lines over a more representative and honest depiction of our state. I hope to see more voter turnout in the November election because too many voters have become apathetic.

What legislation would you sponsor?

I would sponsor legislation to properly fund our public education system and help direct funding to the teachers and classrooms who need it most. I would co-sponsor the legislation towards legalizing medicinal marijuana in our state to help combat the opioid epidemic in our area and give people a choice in their medical decisions.

I would also like to co-sponsor legislation towards putting a hate crime law on our books because our state is one of two in the entire nation without any hate crimes legislation.

I would work with the Horry County delegation to better protect our beaches and expand the protected lands to counteract the displacement of wildlife due to over-development in our county. Horry County brings in tons of tax revenue for our state and it is time that we receive our fair share when it comes to funding local infrastructure for those that live here year round instead of catering only to tourists.

What do you believe should be the General Assembly’s top priority?

I believe that the General Assembly should have teacher retention and public school funding as our top priority because our educators are being overworked and underpaid which is a disservice to the students and future of South Carolina. Too many teachers are leaving the profession due to their basic needs for supplies and other necessities not being met.

Our students are also experiencing a mental health crisis and there are not enough support staff in our schools which leads to increased class sizes and a loss of community. Our students deserve better than this, and we can only fix this issue by making sure our teachers are earning enough to not have to work other jobs on top of all the effort that put into teaching our students

This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.