Date Published: March 9, 2006   

Governor appoints Byrd to council

County GOP chairman takes Eldridge's seat

Also Read Some issues up in air with councilman's absence

By LESLIE CANTU
Item Staff Writer
lesliec@theitem.com

The chairman of Sumter County's Republican Party will be taking over Democrat Ronnie Eldridge's seat on Sumter County Council until Eldridge's criminal domestic violence case is resolved.

Gov. Mark Sanford issued an executive order Wednesday naming Jimmy Byrd to the District 3 seat until Eldridge is either acquitted or convicted.

The governor called Byrd and informed him of the appointment in a "short and to the point" conversation, Byrd said.

BYRD

Byrd, 35, said Wednesday that he had thought about running for the seat in the 2004 election, but stepped aside to let then-county councilman and fellow Republican Carol Burr pursue another term.

When Eldridge was arrested in December, Sumter's Republican state representatives approached Byrd and asked if he would run for the seat if Eldridge resigned, Byrd said.

Byrd indicated his interest, and though Eldridge didn't resign, Byrd's name ended up in the hat when the governor began considering replacements after the county grand jury indicted Eldridge last month, thereby giving the governor the legal go-ahead to suspend him.

Charlie Griffin, chairman of the county's Democratic Party, made a short statement Wednesday upon learning of Byrd's appointment.

"While I would rather have seen a Democrat appointed, I think Jimmy Byrd was a good choice for the governor. Jimmy and I went through the last election counts, recounts and protest, and I found him to be very level-headed, and I appreciate the kindness he displayed toward me," he said.

One of the first decisions Byrd will have to make will be whether or when to resign as chairman of the local party.

"I don't foresee me having time to do both," he said.

On the other hand, he said, he learned a great deal from the demanding 2004 election, when the Republicans fielded five candidates for sheriff in the primary and the state Senate race wasn't decided for more than a month after Election Day.

That type of on-the-job training is invaluable for a chairman, and he doesn't want to leave a new guy on his own just months before the primaries.

Most likely, Byrd said, he'll resign the chairmanship before the state convention in April, but continue in an advisory role for the new chairman.

Byrd's role on council is somewhat uncertain, since he doesn't know how long he'll be there. He doesn't intend to "run in gung ho," he said, but will work to get up to speed on the current issues before council.

Byrd's presence expands the Republican voice on council, but the Democrats still hold a 4-3 majority. Chairman Louis Fleming, however, has missed a number of meetings because of illness this year, which could reduce any partisan votes to a 3-3 tie.

Wednesday, Fleming said he didn't know Byrd personally. He had little to say about the governor choosing a Republican to fill the slot.

"That's the governor's prerogative," he said.

Had Byrd run in the 2004 election, he would have run on a platform of keeping taxes in check and re-examining and possibly revising some of the building codes, he said.

He also wants Sumter to become the best place in the state for small businesses to do business, because that's where jobs are created, he said.


Contact Staff Writer Leslie Cantu at lesliec@theitem.com or 803-774-1250.