Get to know SC House of Representative primary candidates. Here’s what they plan to do
The South Carolina state primaries are almost here.
Voters will see nine House of Representative candidates in four districts on the ballot.
The primary will be held on June 11 and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find your polling location at scvotes.gov and which districts you are in at the scstatehouse.gov website. Make sure to bring an ID and don’t wear political clothing to the polls.
Here is what to know about the candidates.
District 57
Lucas Atkinson — Democratic incumbent since 2016
- Where he lives: Mullins
- Why he is running: Atkinson said he was elected in 2016 and wants to continue doing everything he can to bring representation for rural South Carolina.
- Top issues: Bringing money back to his area is Atkinson’s No. 1 goal, he said. He said he has helped provide funding for downtown revitalization projects and a new public safety training facility, among other projects.
- Where she lives: Mullins
- Why she is running: Ford said she wants to see greater representation of her district at the state level.
- Top issues: Agriculture, economic advancement and public safety are top issues, Ford said. She wants to increase access to locally-grown foods, assess economic plans and use strategic models and technology to help with community and safety needs.
District 58
Jeff Johnson — Republican incumbent since 2014
- Where he lives: Conway
- Why he is running: Johnson said he’s running for office again because he enjoys helping his constituents. For example, he said he’s helped Aynor residents by bringing in money to help with flooding.
- Top issues: Roads are Johnson’s top issue, including updating and resurfacing roads as Horry County’s population continues to grow. He also cares about criminal laws, including passing laws to try and help with the opioid and fentanyl crisis.
- Where he lives: Near Aynor
- Why he is running: Beatty said he wanted to see his district better represented and that key issues were not being addressed at the state level.
- Top issues: Growth of government and government waste are Beatty’s top two issues. He said he supports a small government.
District 61
Carla Schuessler — Republican incumbent since 2022
- Where she lives: Myrtle Beach area
- Why she is running: Schuessler said she’s lived in Horry County for over 20 years and and has worked hard to build relationships and be involved in the community and wants to use those connections to do good in Horry County.
- Top issues: Infrastructure, including roads and bridges, lowering insurance prices, giving parents more choices when it comes to their child’s education and illegal immigration are her top issues. Schuessler said these are the biggest problems she’s heard about from her constituents.
- Where she lives: Myrtle Beach
- Why she is running: Grady did not respond to The Sun News’ request to comment and did not state why she’s running on her website.
- Top issues: Infrastructure and making sure Horry County is developing in a sustainable way, keeping critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion out of schools and the right to life are Grady’s top priorities, according to her website.
- Where he lives: Myrtle Beach
- Why he is running: Herrmann said he doesn’t feel like his district is being represented. He said he feels that he has been acting as a “defacto representative” and decided he wanted to be the actual representative.
- Top Issues: Stopping wasteful spending is his top issue, Herrmann said. He wants to cut taxes and also put money towards things like roads and judicial reform.
District 106
Val Guest — Republican incumbent since 2022
- Where he lives: Myrtle Beach, near Surfside Beach
- Why he is running: As he finishes up his first term, Guest said he feels like there’s still work to be done for the people of District 106.
- Top issues: Guest’s main issues are keeping up with infrastructure such as roads and bridges as the county population increases. He also wants to increase pay for teachers and police officer while cutting taxes.
- Where he lives: Murrells Inlet
- Why he is running: Sweeney did not respond to The Sun News’ request to comment and does not have a website.
- Top Issues: Sweeney did not respond to The Sun News’ request to comment and does not have a website.
Emalyn Muzzy
The Sun News