Four vie for vacant S.C. House District 106 seat
Improving roads and protecting Horry County tax dollars are just two of the issues four of the Republican candidates say are facing S.C. House District 106 as they gear up to face off Tuesday in a Special Primary Election.
Russell Fry, Sanford Graves, Tyler Servant and Roy Sprinkle are vying for the House 106 seat held by Nelson Hardwick, who resigned from the seat in May after an investigation by the House Speaker’s office uncovered an accusation of sexual harassment by a female House staff member.
Fry, 30, Surfside Beach, said District 106 is facing many problems, but also has great opportunities.
“At the end of the day, we all want to improve our quality of life and create a better district with more opportunities for our children and grandchildren,” Fry said in response to a survey issued by The Sun News. “This can be accomplished by reforming our education system by providing parents with more choices in their children’s education, improving our infrastructure – including the [Southern Evacuation Lifeline] Project – which will bring more jobs to our area and ease congestion, and reforming our tax code so its simpler, fairer, and flatter for all our residents.”
Graves, 46, Garden City Beach, said roads and infrastructure, big energy and consistent representation are three issues facing the district.
“I support improvements that will allow for residents, visitors, and businesses to more easily travel, and which would increase the potential for attracting greater business opportunities complementing our existing industry,” Graves said. “With the opening of the South Carolina coast to oil exploration and drilling, the potential offshore drilling to transform, or place at risk, our tourism-based economy must be recognized. While this business may not prove to be detrimental, policy makers must ensure that we are shielded from risk and share in rewards.”
As for consistent representation, Graves said, “District 106 needs a dedicated representative that can earn this one job in Columbia, and keep it.”
Servant, 24, Surfside Beach, said his three issues in the district are roads, taxes and jobs.
“I think a reformed [Department of Transportation] would be more efficient and accountable, over the state infrastructure bank and fund projects based on economic benefit, not politics,” Servant said. “Adding a similar state cost per mile of construction/maintenance comparison and shorter time between funding to shovel ready are other changes needed for taxpayers to cheer and the Grand Strand to thrive.”
Servant said his philosophy on taxes is that a government that facilitates private sector growth and spends tax dollars frugally will have the resources to effectively deliver its core services without raising taxes.
“We need to enact the practice of an automatic sunset or need for renewal for all new regulations and regulatory statutes and fast track legislation that facilitates innovative industries’ operations,” Servant said regarding jobs and economic development. “I believe industry recruitment and incentive packages must have their primary consideration be return on investment for taxpayers.”
Sprinkle, 53, Surfside Beach, said returning the county’s fair share of tax dollars, addressing violent crime and preserving the state’s rights are three issues he would like to address, if elected. Sprinkle said Horry County has been denied tax dollars for the last seven years by the state legislature through the Local Government Fund and he would like to see that changed.
“In doing so we must get more accurate government accountability and force the government to live within its means like we the people are forced to do and are not ‘surprised’ with unexpected $400 million surpluses, to fatten bloated state coffers,” Sprinkle said. “Return our money to the people that pay the bills and hold our representatives accountable for their votes to do otherwise.”
Sprinkle said he would like to see violent crime and drugs addressed, and would work to preserve state’s rights “from overreaching federal government regulation.
“We must provide additional state funding to augment local funding of our beloved law enforcement officials who put their life on the line every day,” Sprinkle said. “Give them the tools necessary to combat this epidemic which threatens us all. Make the criminal element realize that crime in fact does not pay and that prisons should not be country clubs, and do not deserve tax payer funded cable and [air conditioning] that some of our law abiding citizens cannot afford.”
Jason M. Rodriguez: 843-626-0301, @TSN_JRodriguez
Russell Fry
Age | 30
Party | Republican
Address | P.O. Box 14444, Surfside Beach, SC 29578
Occupation | Co-owner of a small consulting business and lawyer with the Coastal Law firm in Myrtle Beach.
Family | Wife, Bronwen
Civic and political experience | Boys Scouts and earned his Eagle Scout in 2003. Former president of the Student Bar Association, Charleston School of Law, and helped the school achieve full ABA accreditation; Vice President and President of the Grand Stand Young Republicans in 2012 and 2013, respectively; Former executive committeeman for the Horry County Republican Party; Active member of the NRA; and member of Socastee United Methodist Church
Education | Horry County Public Schools graduate; the University of South Carolina; Charleston School of Law
Military experience | N/A
Contact information | Phone: (843) 360-4250; Email: FryforHouse@gmail.com; Twitter: @RussellWFry; Facebook: Facebook.com/FryforHouse; Website: www.FryforHouse.com
Match your strengths or areas of expertise with the needs you feel District 106 is facing.
Answer | This election is about who can best represent the people of the South Strand and who will bring fresh ideas and solutions to the problems facing our district. As a son of blue-collar parents who put blood, sweat, and tears into opening their own small businesses, I understand the challenges our residents face as they strive to achieve their dreams and how government often stifles success. I’ll approach making our government more efficient, reforming our tax system, developing our infrastructure, and creating jobs for our district like I’ve approached everything in life – head on, with a fighter’s spirit.
If you were given the ability to provide more funding for one area/line item of the budget in the next four years, where would you provide more funding and why?
Answer | As a conservative, I know that throwing more money at a problem is rarely the best solution. We must find innovative ways to make government more efficient and accountable. I promise as your next representative, I will work to eliminate fraud and abuse and redirect wasteful spending to core functions of government, specifically infrastructure development for our area. By improving our roads, bridges, and ports we are able to raise the quality of life for our residents and attract business and industry that will create jobs for our area, while also alleviating congestion in the South Strand.
Sanford Cox Graves
Age | 46
Party | Republican
Address | 520 Elizabeth Drive, Garden City Beach SC 29576
Occupation | Attorney
Family | Married to Jennifer Alexander Graves for 18 years; Two sons, Ford (12) and Glenn (9).
Civic & Political Experience | Member of Board of Directors for the Horry County Solid Waste Authority; served as the presiding judge for the Horry County Drug Court program (7-months); Chief Deputy County Attorney for Horry County Government (4-years) counseling and advising county departments, boards and commissions; Was an Assistant Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit (7-years) prosecuting cases against felony-level criminal offenders; as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Circuit Court (1-year); served on the S.C. Bar’s Judicial Qualification Committee and its House of Delegates representing the interests of attorneys within the 15th Judicial Circuit; served as a S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) approved instructor for the Basic and Advanced State Constables Training Courses and the Conway Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy; participated in Horry County School’s mock trial competitions as a scoring judge, and represented the legal profession in high school and middle school career days; member of the Horry County Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the South Carolina Solicitor’s Association.
Education | University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D. 2002); Marymount University (MBA Studies 1997-1999); University of South Carolina (B.A. 1990); Socastee High School (Diploma 1986)
Military | None
Contact Information | Email: sanfordgraves106@gmail.com; sanford@schouse106.com; Web: www.schouse106.com; Phone: 843-465-0905; Mail: P.O. Box 52, Murrells Inlet SC 29576
Match your strengths or areas of expertise with the needs you feel District 106 is facing.
Answer | The District and its citizens are suffering from a loss of representation through resignation. In this race, I am very qualified to quickly become an effective representative based on my nine years of business management experience with Coca-Cola, my law degree, and my 12 years of work within our local government as a prosecutor, counselor, attorney, and judge. I will approach the issues facing the district by effectively participating in each stage of bringing good bills for District 106 to the floor including work in public input sessions, committees, and in demonstrating a great legislative work ethics.
If you were given the ability to provide more funding for one area/line item of the budget in the next four years, where would you provide more funding and why?
Answer | I would fund Gov. [Nikki] Haley’s 2015 budget section entitled “Building Safe Communities.” A core function of government is public safety; resources invested towards protecting the citizenry from criminals, crimes, and violence, and in support of justice is money well invested. The section details a need to revisit the current laws relating to Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV) to ensure that the best possible laws exist for the prevention and prosecution of CDV; increased support of prosecutors and parole agents who deal with those accused and convicted of crimes; and increased access to child advocacy programs to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Tyler Servant
Age | 24
Party | Republican
Address | 16063 Surfside Beach, SC 29578
Occupation | Real Estate Broker
Family | Son of Mil and Judy Servant, Brother: Miles Servant. Grandparents: Sonny and Maxine Furr
Civic and political experience | Worked in legislature for three years while at the University of South Carolina; Member of the Legislative Policy and South Strand Business Councils for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce; Graduate of Leadership Grand Strand and a member of the Grand Strand Sertoma Club, the Surfside Beach Rotary Club, the Greater Burgess Community Association, NRA, and the Garden City Beach Community Association
Education | St. James High School graduate; degrees in real estate and marketing from the University of South Carolina
Military experience | N/A
Contact information | Website: www.TylerServant.com; Facebook: /TylerServantSC; Cell: 843-582-2536; Email: info@TylerServant.com; Twitter: @TylerServant
Match your strengths or areas of expertise with the needs you feel District 106 is facing.
Answer | I'm not easily intimidated. I tenaciously stand up for my principles even under great pressure. My business experience is more than just a profession, it is part of my upbringing. I was taught that delivering great service and great value were equally important. Having worked at the State House for three years I also have a conceptual and hands-on knowledge of how to get things done in Columbia. These traits and experience give me a unique ability to advocate for the needs of our community and identify waste, fraud and abuse of valuable tax payer dollars.
If you were given the ability to provide more funding for one area/line item of the budget in the next four years, where would you provide more funding and why?
Answer | I have to disagree with the premise of the question, the legislature always has the ability to provide more funding to any budget line item it chooses. The problem is using words like “more funding” instead of “hard earned tax payer dollars.” This isn’t just money you have to play with, it's dollars hard working families no longer have in their pockets. My business training is about providing great service and great value. My support of reform for the DOT and the State Infrastructure Bank will result in more road and infrastructure dollars for our community and less dipping in tax payer pockets.
Dr. Roy Sprinkle
Age | 53
Party | Republican
Address | 1751 Gibson Road, Surfside Beach SC
Occupation | Podiatrist (foot surgeon)
Family | Mother, Denise, five brothers and one sister.
Civic and political experience: | Eagle Scout, not a politician.
Education | BS Biology, 1986 Wake Forest University, MS Biomedical Sciences, 1992 Barry University, Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine 1994 Barry University, 2 year surgical residency HealthSouth Hospital Miami, Florida
Military Experience | None
Contact Information | Cindy Trepanier, public relations manager, 238-8989
Match your strengths or areas of expertise with the needs you feel District 106 is facing.
Answer | Healthcare issues are now being forced upon all states that did not set up HealthCare Exchanges as mandated by overbearing federal government. Since SC correctly opted out we must now deal with consequences of recent supremely arrogant court decision. Doctors, not lawyers and politicians must be involved in crafting appropriate regulation of the new and ever changing health care laws or you can expect the same catastrophic failure that is coming with unsustainable federal government mandates. 20+ years as frontline heathcare professional and small business owner/operator, no other candidate can match. I have fought the fight for 20 years by myself to get the most for my patients and will continue to bring that fight to the State House for all of us.
If you were given the ability to provide more funding for one area/line item of the budget in the next four years, where would you provide more funding and why?
Answer | What a ridiculous question: There is no such situation but given that fantasy, infrastructure... We have been told by government officials that we need several billion dollars in infrastructure repairs just to bring our existing roads, bridges and highways up to acceptable levels. If that is true, then it must be a top priority considering that tourists who travel these roads to our shores are our bread and butter. People advocate S.E.L.L. and interstate access, and seem to forget that by bringing such massive increase in traffic to our existing inadequate roadways, will further create traffic nightmares, and destroy our quaint village atmosphere that we have all grown to cherish. That being said, the intention of S.E.L.L. is to provide safe passage in event of a life threatening storm, my position is that this is a great idea, but does not replace common sense to heed storm warnings. A luxury item that if money is available to build it, then so be it, but absolutely no tax increase to support it.
More Information
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. To find out where to vote, log on to www.horrycounty.org/Departments/VotersRegistrationAndElections
This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 1:01 AM with the headline "Four vie for vacant S.C. House District 106 seat."