DI incumbents file for re-election
Several Daniel Island residents currently serving as government representatives have officially thrown their hats into the ring again for an additional term.
State Senator Larry Grooms (R), S.C. House of Representatives Member Jim Merrill (R), and Berkeley County Councilman Josh Whitley (R) all filed paperwork by the March 30 deadline to be added to the general election ballot in November. Merrill and Whitley are running unopposed, and Grooms will face challenger Mark Robin Heath.
Merrill said that “it has been an honor to represent District 99 for eight terms in the S.C. House of Representatives.” His district encompasses all or parts of Hanahan, Daniel Island, Cainhoy and Mt. Pleasant. When he first ran for office, only a couple hundred people lived on Daniel Island.
“It is a large and diverse District that has experienced tremendous growth and change over that time period and I am fortunate to have played a small role,” he said. “My first campaign focused on conservative principles, property rights, port expansion, tax reform and quality of life in the Lowcountry. With the help of tremendous public servants like Arthur Ravenel, Glenn McConnell, Shirley Hinson, Annette Young, John Graham Altman and others, I was able to address many of those issues and achieve success. Now, those folk are gone and I am the one with seniority.”
As the former Majority Leader of the House, a sub-chairman on the Ways and Means Committee and a senior Member, Merrill said he has cultivated enough relationships and experience to impact many of the issues that come before the General Assembly. Why did he decide to seek another term?
“The short answer is that while I had to think long and hard about running again, this is the time when I can most have a positive impact for our community. So I did file for re-election and I appreciate the consideration of any potential candidates who deferred to my decision. I promise to work hard and continue to perform my duties adhering to the motto I have always used … ‘to do the job, you have to be willing to lose the job.’ It has served me well thus far and I thank everyone for their support.”
Grooms earned his seat in the S.C. Senate in 1997 and hopes to continue the work he started.
“From day one I have consistently advanced commonsense, conservative solutions,” said Grooms, who is also chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “The people of Berkeley and Charleston believe in proven leadership, and proven leadership is what I bring to the table.”
Grooms cited the Senate’s recent passage of his transportation plan to improve the state’s roads without raising taxes as an example of his leadership ability. According to a press release about Grooms’ re-election bid, passage of the plan “broke a weeks-long filibuster that had brought gridlock to the Senate.”
Heath, Grooms’ opponent for the District 37 seat, said that he has long desired to enter public service.
“I believe the people of the 37th District are hungry for fresh ideas in politics, especially when we have been trying for many years to come up with a solution to fixing our roads,” said Heath. “I am committed to finding innovative solutions to growth and infrastructure that do not include a higher tax burden on the citizens, whether directly or indirectly. My campaign theme is ‘bringing integrity back into politics’ because I believe the current leadership does not embody the spirit of public service. I look forward to meeting everyone on the campaign trail.”
Whitley, an attorney, first earned a seat on the Berkeley County Council in early 2015, after former District 2 representative and Daniel Island resident Tim Callanan left the post to accept a position as Berkeley County Deputy Supervisor. Whitley said he looks forward to serving another four years.
“I am very gratified with what we have been able to move toward fruition in the first year, including funding for the Daniel Island and Seven Farms intersection and more aggressively moving forward the widening of Clements Ferry Road. I look forward to making even more progress on infrastructure and public safety in the years to come while being fiscally responsible. As always, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve.”
In other races for Daniel Island constituents, incumbent U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R) will face four opponents in his bid for re-election. Joining him on the ballot will be Bill Bledsoe (I), Thomas Dixon (D), Jim Hinkle (A), and Rebel Michael Scarborough (A). For the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Mark Sanford (R) will square off against challengers Dimitry Cherny (D), Jenny Horne (R), and Albert Travison (A).