Seeking local races in June primaries? S.C. House 62 is only game in town
Challenger Bryson Caldwell. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
District 62 Rep. Robert Williams. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
By Bobby Bryant, Editor
editor@newsandpress.net
Several statewide offices will be on the ballots June 14 for Republican and Democratic primary elections, but in Darlington County, there’s only one contested race.
That’s the battle between longtime state Rep. Robert Williams of Darlington and Hartsville City Council member Bryson Caldwell, his challenger for the Democratic nomination for S.C. House District 62.
The candidates are essentially campaigning as the reliable veteran (Williams, 58, has served in the House since 2007) and the newcomer with new ideas (Caldwell, 27, has served on Hartsville’s council since 2019). The race so far has been quiet.
Polls for the June 14 primaries open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If runoffs are needed, they will be held two weeks later. This election has been using “early voting” instead of “absentee-in-person,” meaning voters no longer have to give a reason to vote in person before Election Day.
“Early voting” for the primaries began May 31-June 3, and is continuing June 6-10 at the Darlington County Voter Registration Office (131 Cashua St., Darlington) and at Jerusalem Baptist Church (301 S. 6th St., Hartsville), from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Early voting” for runoffs will be June 22-24 at the same locations.
Here’s a look at what voters will see on the Democratic and Republican ballots in Darlington County:
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT
GOVERNOR: Carlton Boyd, Joe Cunningham, Mia S. McLeod, Calvin C.J. Mack McMillan, William H. Williams
S.C. SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION: Gary L. Burgess, Lisa Ellis, Jerry Govan
U.S. SENATE: Catherine Fleming Bruce
S.C. HOUSE DISTRICT 62: Bryson S. Caldwell, Robert Williams (I)
(House District 62 includes these precincts: Auburn, Darlington 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, Hartsville 4, 6, 7, High Hill, Indian Branch, Lake Swamp, Lamar 1, 2, Oates, Palmetto, Swift Creek. It also includes parts of Darlington 3, Dovesville and Hartsville 9.)
REPUBLICAN BALLOT
GOVERNOR: Henry McMaster (I), Harrison Musselwhite
S.C. SECRETARY OF STATE: Keith Blandford, Mark Hammond (I)
S.C. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Lauren Martel, Alan Wilson (I)
S.C. SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION: Travis Bedson, Bryan Chapman, Kizzi Gibson, Lynda Leventis-Wells, Kathy Maness, Ellen Weaver
S.C. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE: Bill Bledsoe, Bob Rozier, Hugh Weathers (I)
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 7: Barbara Arthur, Garrett Barton, Russell Fry, Mark McBride, Spencer A. Morris, Tom Rice (I), Ken Richardson. (Arthur is a Hartsville resident.)
ADVISORY QUESTIONS ON THE GOP BALLOT:
1. Should people have the right to register with the political party of their choice when they register to vote?
2. Should candidates for local school boards be able to run as a candidate of the political party of their choice, just like candidates for other elected offices?
3. In a situation where there is more than one person responsible for damages in a lawsuit, do you support changing S.C. law so that each person should pay damages based on that person’s actual share of fault?
