Local Radar

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Six Republicans vie for nomination in senate race

web posted August 8, 2007
STATE – With the filing date closed for the District 25 Senate seat the field of candidates has mushroomed to seven, six on the Republican side and Rep. Bill Clyburn capturing the Democratic nod with no challenger. The special election is the result of long-time Senator Tommy Moore (D-Clearwater) resigning his seat to take a lucrative job in the payday loan industry. 

The Republican candidates are Chris Corley, Bill Hixon, Shane Massey, Jack Montgomery, Susan Swanson, and Bernie Hamby. Massey and Hixon both hail from Edgefield County, Hamby from McCormick, and Corley, Montgomery, and Swanson are all from Aiken County.

The crowded field of Republican candidates almost certainly assures a run-off after the September 18 primary, if no one takes fifty per cent of the votes. In the run-off the top two vote getters will go head-to-head two weeks later.

Shane Massey, of Edgefield, said the crowded field would not affect his campaign plans, “I’m planning to win the race outright,” he said adding, “It will make for an interesting race with six involved.” Massey, who said when he announced that he planned to knock on 10,000 doors, said he is covering the entire district each day meeting with voters and listening to their concerns.

Susan Swanson, Aiken County Republican Party Chairwoman, is not a newcomer to the senate race having lost to Moore in 1996 and withdrew from the race in 2004 citing personal reasons. That left the door open for McCormick Councilman Bernie Hamby to be tapped by the Republican Party to take on Moore in the general election which Moore won handedly.

Chris Corley of Graniteville said he fully expects a run-off as well. “It’s a crowded field and will no doubt lead to a run-off,” he said. Corley said he expects low voter turn out due to the special election. “It’s going to come down to who can get out the vote.” Corley said he would be in Edgefield, Johnston, and Trenton today meeting with voters and sharing his ideas and to hear the concerns of Edgefield County voters. “I’m not just running for the seat,” he said, “I have real plans to take to Columbia that will make a difference for the district.”

Bill Hixon of Merriwether said he is working hard because "with six people in it (the race), it scatters the voters". Hixon said, "The people of District 25 need to look at all the candidates very seriously and choose the one that can beat the Democrat candidate (Bill Clyburn)." Hixon said he belives that the next senator needs to serve all residents, "not just Republicans or Democrats."

When asked if his strong support of Democrat Tommy Moore in the past would hurt him in the Republican primary Hixon said, "I'm sure it will. He (Tommy Moore) was a friend and I always gave him my views as a Republican." Hixon said he changed Moore's position on issues such as the concealed carry laws in South Carolina. "There were issues we would agree to disagree on as well." He said he wanted to provide the same constituent service that Strom Thurmond offered local residents, "If you call me I will call you back.".

Edgefield County contains roughly 30% of the voters in the Senate 25 District and is considered to be key by all candidates in the road to the nomination.

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