Davenport will seek re-election to House

LANE FILLER, Staff Writer
Published February 17, 2006

State Rep. Ralph Davenport will seek re-election to his Spartanburg County seat, he announced Thursday.

Davenport, a Republican, has served the Boiling Springs and Inman communities since 1985.

Asked what he would prioritize if he is sent back to Columbia, Davenport said, "Right now, serving on the Ways and Means subcommittee that is working on Medicaid reform is really important. With the federal cuts that have come down, we are trying to find ways to save money on this program while still getting people the services they need, and that's a challenge I want to continue addressing in the future."

Davenport also touted his service on the property tax subcommittee and his work toward eliminating that tax as accomplishments voters might consider in the election.

Spartanburg County Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Patterson said she hopes Davenport will face opposition from her party.

"There are a lot of people who don't feel they've been very well served by Mr. Davenport, and a little competition, even if he didn't lose, might make him more accountable to the voters he serves," Patterson said.

Davenport faced some controversy recently after he drafted a bill that would have forced Spartanburg School District 2 to transfer ownership of nine acres off Double Bridge Road to the local fire district.

The issue is still up in the air, but Davenport has seen opposition from both citizens and legislators on both sides of the aisle. The issue would likely be prime fodder for any candidate from the Democratic Party.

On the Republican side, county GOP chairman Rick Beltram said he has not heard of anybody in his party mounting a challenge.

"You can't say for sure because filing hasn't begun yet, but I haven't heard anything," Beltram said.

Davenport is married and has two children. He owns Davenport Glass Service Center and attends First Baptist North Spartanburg.

Lane Filler can be reached at 562-7426 or lane.filler@shj.com.

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©2006 Spartanburg Herald-Journal | Staff directory