Harvin, 55, was the longest-serving active member of the House when the Summerton Democrat died at a Charleston hospital on Oct. 11 following a long illness.
Cathy B. Harvin, 51, and Mitchell Ellerby, 59, will compete in a Jan. 3 Democratic primary. Both candidates filed Friday. Filing for the seat ends on Nov. 7.
Cathy Harvin said it was her husband's wish that she run to fill his seat.
"As Alex was getting more and more ill, one day he asked me to finish what he had started," she said. "'Carry on for me,' he said. 'The people of Clarendon County depended on me to finish what I started, and now I'm depending on you to finish it for me.'"
During the last months of her husband's life, Harvin was fighting breast cancer.
"Having faced breast cancer and at least beaten it for now has made me reassess what I wanted to do with my life," Harvin said.
If elected, Harvin said she would work to bring homework centers to Clarendon County communities, expand the ability of South Carolina Educational Television to offer courses in rural counties, and encourage technology companies to provide educational tools in rural areas.
"Technology is the great equalizer in education," she said.
Ellerby challenged Alex Harvin unsuccessfully in the 2004 Democratic Primary, and said he has been planning for the 2006 election since then. Ellerby previously served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1984 to 1992.
"I have experience that I can bring to the seat," Ellerby said.
He said he would like to ensure good pay for teachers and bring about other improvements in the state's educational system.
"From landowners to renters, I want to see everyone have a say in how the county's run," he said.
---
Information from: The Item, http://www.theitem.com/