SC GOP Bus Tour brings candidates to Hartsville
SC Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidate Alan Wilson (left) spoke to a large crowd last Friday at Wild Heart Brewing Company in Hartsville. With him were his running mate, SC Senator Mike Reichenbach and his wife Charisse, US Congressman Russell Fry, and Agriculture Commissioner candidate Cody Simpson. SC Senator J.D. Chaplin organized the event. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
By Stephan Drew, Editor
A large, enthusiastic crowd packed Wild Heart Brewing Company at 317 Railroad Avenue on Friday, October 23, to meet Republican candidates for top state offices. The candidates stopped in Hartsville as part of the Wilson-Reichenbach Bus Tour.
The candidates stepped off the bus and made their way up the steps to the Wild Heart porch. Waiting supporters applauded and welcomed them.
The event was organized by S.C. Sen. J.D. Chaplin. The guests were S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, candidate for governor; state Sen. Mike Reichenbach, candidate for lieutenant governor; Cody Simpson, candidate for commissioner of agriculture; and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who is seeking reelection to the 7th Congressional District seat.
Local officials in the crowd included Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee, Darlington County Sheriff Michael August, County Attorney Jay Lucas, Hartsville Mayor Dan Askins III, Hartsville Councilmembers Kenzie Delaine and Colin Hungerpillar, and Darlington County Councilmember David Coker. Many local business people and residents also attended.
Before the formal program, attendees spent a lengthy stretch meeting the candidates, asking questions and raising their concerns. Chaplin then opened the program with introductions for each candidate, and they outlined the issues at the center of their campaigns.
Alan Wilson (Governor) — Wilson, a Lexington native who has been attorney general since 2011, has centered his campaign on eliminating the state income tax, cutting fraudulent and wasteful spending, and enacting universal school choice. He called for infrastructure investment and protecting individual liberties and parental rights. He points to his record as attorney general, citing expanded work against internet crimes targeting children and the creation of a state human trafficking task force.
Mike Reichenbach (Lieutenant Governor) — Reichenbach, a Florence businessman who owns car dealerships, has described the ticket’s shared theme as “Families First.” He has said that as lieutenant governor he would lead an audit initiative aimed at finding waste, fraud and abuse in government. His campaign platform also stresses support for law enforcement, Second Amendment rights, and school choice with education dollars directed into the classroom.
Cody Simpson (Commissioner of Agriculture) — Simpson, a fifth-generation farmer from Clarendon County, previously served as state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency and as an agriculture adviser to Gov. Henry McMaster. He has said that overdevelopment and the rapid loss of farmland are key issues in his campaign. He pledged to defend South Carolina farmers against foreign threats such as Chinese land purchases.
Russell Fry (U.S. House, District 7) — Fry represents a district stretching from the Grand Strand into the Pee Dee, including Darlington County. He named the economy and the border as major priorities, along with support for veterans, legislation to protect human trafficking survivors, and the fight against fentanyl. He has also advocated eliminating the federal Department of Education and sending that funding to the states in block grants.
The stop gave Pee Dee voters a chance to hear directly from candidates they will see on the ballot in the November general election.