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Date Published: June 7, 2004
State’s primaries draw near
Voters have large list of candidates to choose from
By SHARRON HALEY
Item Staff Writer
shaley@theitem.com
Voters in the tri-county area will have a wide slate of
candidates to choose from when the polls open at 7 a.m. for
Tuesday’s primaries.
Sumter County residents will choose
candidates for sheriff, coroner, auditor and U.S. Senate. Sumter
also has races in county council Districts 1 and 5, state House
District 70, and U.S. House District 6.
Clarendon County
residents are voting in contests for U.S. Senate, coroner, probate
judge and county council chairman with other races in U.S. House
District 6 and county council District 2.
Lee County
residents in Lee County Council District 2, state Senate District 29
and school board districts 1, 2 and 7, will choose candidates along
with the U.S. Senate races. Lynchburg will vote for town
council.
The largest race in Sumter, Clarendon and Lee
counties is the Republican primary for U.S. Senate with six
candidates vying for the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Ernest
“Fritz” Hollings. David Beasley, Orly Benny Davis, Charlie Condon,
Jim DeMint, Mark McBride and Thomas Ravenel are running for a chance
to face the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic Party primary between Ben
Frasier and Inez Tenenbaum.
The local race for Sumter County
sheriff has five Republican candidates, Robbie Baker, Larry
Florence, Glenn Harrell, David McLhinney and Gary Metts. Each
candidate is hoping for a chance to face the winner in the
Democratic Party’s primary, either Jim Austin or Anthony Dennis, in
the November general election.
In the race for Sumter County
coroner, Republicans Gene Disher and Kim Motley are competing for
the chance to face Democratic incumbent candidate Verna Moore in
November.
Sumter County Auditor Jomarie Crocker is being
challenged in the Democratic Primary by Lauretha McCants. The winner
faces no opposition in November.
Incumbent Councilwoman Naomi
Sanders, who holds the District 1 seat on Sumter County Council, is
facing opposition in the Democratic Primary from two challengers,
Alphonso Johnson and Roland Robinson. Incumbent Councilwoman Vivian
Fleming-McGhaney, who holds the District 5 seat on Sumter County
Council, is being challenged by former Councilman Frank Williams Jr.
in the Democratic Primary. The winners of the District 1 and 5 seats
on Sumter County Council do not have opposition in November’s
general election.
Sumter County residents will also have the
chance to choose between incumbent Democratic Rep. Joe Neal and
challenger Levola S. Taylor for the State House District 70 seat in
Tuesday’s Democratic Primary. The winner will not have opposition in
November.
Republicans in congressional District 6 in Sumter
and Clarendon counties will be able to go to the polls on Tuesday to
choose between Gary McLeod and Michael Reino. The winner will face
Democratic incumbent James Clyburn in November.
Clarendon
County residents will have four local races to decide on Tuesday and
all will be in the Democratic Primary.
Robert “Bobby” Fleming
and Hayes F. Samuels Jr. will be vying for Clarendon County coroner.
The winner will not face opposition in November.
Incumbent
Barney Lee Brewer Morris will face two challengers, Percy B. Harvin
Jr. and Henry King Jr., for the office of probate judge in Clarendon
County. The winner will not have opposition in November’s general
election.
Incumbent Dwight Stewart will have opposition in
Tuesday’s Democratic Primary from Scott Brown for chairman of
Clarendon County Council. The winner will have no opposition in the
fall general election.
Three Democratic candidates are vying
for the District 2 seat on Clarendon County Council — Sara Ann
Aycock, Margaret Jackson and Jerome McCray. The winner will face
Republican Marilyn Fletcher in November.
Lee County residents
will have four local races to decide and Lynchburg will choose a
town council member.
Incumbent Councilman Ron Fountain will
face challenger Mary Lillies Grant for the District 2 seat on Lee
County Council. The winner will not have opposition in
November.
In Lynchburg, voters will go to the polls to choose
a new council member from three candidates, Robert M. Morrell Sr.,
Nancy Galloway and Thompson Isaac.
Three seats on the Lee
County school board will also be decided.
Incumbent Johnny
“Red” McDuffie will face Jeffrey E. Varn for Seat 1; incumbent
Jewell Tindall will face challengers E. Sutton and Kathryn Stuckey
for Seat 2; and Elease Lloyd and Sanya Moses will compete for Seat
7.
Residents in state Senate District 29, which includes part
of Lee County, can choose a Republican candidate between Warren
Arthur and Michael Holt. The winner faces Democratic Sen. Gerald
Malloy.
Polls in both the Democratic and Republican primaries
will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters will be
allowed to vote only in one of the two primaries.
Contact
Staff Writer Sharron Haley at shaley@theitem.com or
803-435-8511.
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June 23, 2004 
