Hartsville City Council member challenging Williams for House seat in June 14 primary
Hartsville City Council member Bryson Caldwell is challenging Rep. Robert Williams for House Seat 62. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
By Bobby Bryant, Editor
editor@newsandpress.net
Longtime state Rep. Robert Williams, D-Darlington, is being challenged by Hartsville City Council member Bryson Caldwell, a Democrat, in the June 14 primary elections.
Williams is one of only two local candidates facing opposition in the primary; the other is Darlington County Council member Dannie Douglas, a Democrat representing District 2, who is being challenged by Republican Bob Dickerson.
Only one candidate filed to run for the House District 65 seat being vacated by Republican House Speaker Jay Lucas of Hartsville, according to Darlington County elections chief Hoyt Campbell. He said Cody Mitchell, an attorney in Lucas’ law firm, is running for that seat as a Republican.
Filing for the June primary ended March 30, Campbell said.
Several incumbents are running without opposition in the primary. Darlington County Probate Judge Marvin Lawson has no challengers, but this time he filed to run as a Republican, Campbell said. In all his prior races for the post, he has run as a Democrat.
Other incumbents facing no opposition are County Council Chairman Bobby Hudson, a Democrat representing District 4; County Council member Albert Davis, a Democrat representing District 6; and County Council member David Coker, a Republican representing District 8.
In the House District 62 race, Williams is a political veteran who has served in the S.C. House since 2007. Caldwell, owner of Caldwell Insurance Consultants, joined Hartsville City Council as a new member representing District 2 in December 2019.
In House District 65, incumbent Lucas decided not to seek re-election. He has been a House member since 1999 and has served in the powerful speaker’s post since 2014.