The state has set the primary to fill the District 121 seat for June 28 with a general election set for Aug. 18. Filing for office is open from April 29 to May 9. This election affords an opportunity for poor and rural areas of Beaufort County to gain considerable clout in Columbia. First, the county needs a candidate to run for office. Colleton County already has a candidate.
Lloyd, who lived in Walterboro, represented District 121, which includes southern Colleton County and northern Beaufort County, including Yemassee, Sheldon, most of Burton, Pigeon Point and downtown Beaufort north of North Street and west of Charles Street.
Colleton County Democrat Reaves McLeod announced Thursday that he will seek the District 121 seat. He has credentials. He is a longtime Democrat, a lawyer and the son of a former state senator, Peden McLeod.
But Colleton County officials are concerned about the impact the vacant seat could have on them. That is a fact of politics, and Beaufort County could be the winner. District 121 includes 5,293 registered voters in southern Colleton County and 8,803 voters from northern Beaufort County.
The district is a demographic hodgepodge. It has pockets of wealth and poverty. The contrasts are great, even within areas in the district -- the Northwest Quadrant in part of old Beaufort, Seabrook, Dale, Lobeco and Sheldon and modern neighborhoods like Seabrook Point, Brays Island and Bull Point.
Democrats and Republicans should get moving and aggressively work to develop viable candidates for this job. While locals often have been critical of representation, they haven't offered candidates for the job. Lloyd seldom had opposition for his seat.
Finding the right candidate could be a benefit for Beaufort County. A person can represent the interests of two counties and varying interests within a sprawling district, but a person's heart is generally where he or she lives.