Second District 18 GOP Runoff Takes Place Tuesday

GREER, S.C. -- It’s been a strange, strange trip for people living in Greer this summer.

So far in the Greenville County Council District 18 GOP nomination, there’s been a vote, a runoff election, a recount, two vote protests and a trip to the state Supreme Court, not to mention recriminations against both candidates by shadowy groups that both sides disavowed.

All of that has led to Tuesday’s second runoff between Tony Trout and Councilman Steve Selby, which both men hope will be the final say for this part of the election.

"This has put a lot of stress on my family, and it has been kind of bad, especially the dirty politics that popped up," Trout said.

Selby said he's put off by the importance that people have placed on his Martin Luther King Jr. holiday vote, and he hopes people look at his record.

"To me, it is not a racial issue. One vote on one incident does not make up the whole eight years of Steve Selby," Selby said. "We've built libraries, we've added EMS workers, we've added sheriff's deputies, we're expanding the Law Enforcement Center, all without a tax increase to Greenville County."

Trout disagrees with Selby's accomplishments for District 18.

"We didn't get anything but leftovers and lip service, and all the other districts were getting our tax money," he said. "The only reason I wanted to run was due to the fact they wouldn't fix my road. That's how it started. But then when I started doing some research and come to find none of our roads were being fixed over here."

Each man took one last swipe at his opponent Monday.

"I'm sorry that he has chosen to take the support of liberal Democrats from downtown Greenville, the Citizens for Better Greenville, who put out all the negative literature on Steve Selby," Selby said.

"I hope I never stoop to the level that my opponent and his people have stooped to," Trout said.

The polls open in District 18 at 7 a.m. and are open to anyone in the district who did not vote in the Democratic primary. The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Jeff White for the council seat in November.

Previous Stories:

• September 3, 2004: Flier Fuels Fire In District 18 Battle
• September 1, 2004: Election Commission Rejects Observers At District 18 Runoff Polls
• August 13, 2004: District 18 Council Seat Nomination Battle Gets Ugly
• August 10, 2004: Greenville County Council Re-Runoff Scheduled
• August 6, 2004: State Supreme Court Lets New District 18 Runoff Election Stand
• July 12, 2004: What's Next In The District 18 Runoff Debate?
• July 11, 2004: District 18 Runoff Debate Heads To Supreme Court
• July 2, 2004: Hearing Spurs Debate About Party Registration
• July 2, 2004: Voting Irregularities At Center Of District 18 Runoff Dispute
• July 2, 2004: District 18 Race Appeal Heads To State GOP Committee
• July 2, 2004: Greenville County GOP Calls For New District 18 Runoff Election
• June 28, 2004: Selby To Contest Runoff Election Results
• June 24, 2004: Recount Shows Trout Still Winner In District 18 Race