Date Published: October 14, 2005   

Harvin's death leaves vacancy for House seat

By LESLIE CANTU
Item Staff Writer
lesliec@theitem.com

Along with the mourning for state Rep. Alex Harvin, D-Summerton, comes the political necessity of filling his seat.

Harvin, South Carolina's longest continuously serving state representative, died Tuesday at a Charleston hospital following an extended illness.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Clarendon County said Thursday that they're not quite ready to put forward a candidate to replace the 29-year House veteran.

"We briefly talked about that a little bit yesterday," said Democrat Cal Land.

Marci Andino, executive director of the State Election Commission, said filing for the seat will open at noon Oct. 28 and close at noon Nov. 7.

The law calls for the primary to be held on the 11th Tuesday after a vacancy, but because that day is Dec. 27, the primary will be pushed back to Jan. 3, she said.

The special election will be Feb. 14.

However, if only one person files to run and no one declares a write-in candidacy within two weeks of the closing of filing, the person who filed is considered elected and would be able to take office along with the rest of the General Assembly when it reconvenes in January.

The party will first focus on filling the chairmanship of the Clarendon County Democratic Party, which Harvin also held. Democrats will gather next week, Land said, to discuss who would like to run for the District 64 seat, which includes most of Clarendon County and a portion of Williamsburg County.

"Somebody put it to me this morning, 'Whoever runs for it isn't going to be able to do the same job,'" Land said.

John Hoyt, media chairman for the Clarendon County Republican Party, said the party was holding a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday night.

"I'm sure it will be discussed," he said Thursday afternoon. But, he added, "I haven't heard a word yet."

Bob Gibbons, chairman of the local Republican Party, said it won't make any decisions until after Harvin's funeral.

"We are in mourning until after his funeral. He was a great legislator and we appreciate what he has done for this area," Gibbons said.