SC State House reps facing the primary test

Want to throw the bums out in November? It might be too late.

If the latest South Carolina legislative session left you looking for other options in November's elections for the S.C. House of Representatives, you may be saddened to find out most candidates won't have a hard time winning election. In all, races for 67 of 124 House seats are uncontested on the Nov. 6 ballot.

In S.C. election districts that have been historically gerrymandered, your best bet to change your rep might be to vote in the primaries on June 12. (And if you didn't remember to register, there are still ways to beat the deadline on Sunday.)

In all, 46 of the state's House districts have contested primaries this year. In 22 of them, the primary winner will have no general election matchup in November, meaning the primary is the only election for your next representative.

In the greater Columbia area, seven contested State House primaries will give voters an early chance to give their verdict on state lawmakers. Another 15 districts in Richland, Lexington and Kershaw counties do not have primary races.

• In District 41, three-term incumbent MaryGail Douglas, D-Fairfield, faces a challenge from Annie McDaniel. The winner faces the United Citizens Party's Fred Kennedy in November.

• In District 71, 14-year incumbent Nathan Ballentine, R-Richland, faces two GOP challengers, Todd Watlington and Britton Wolf, in the Republican primary. The winner of that three-way race will run unopposed in November.

• The only obstacle to a 13th term for Rep. Leon Howard, D-Richland, is T'Nae Parker in the District 76 Democratic primary. The winner faces no general election opponent.

• After a decade in office in District 77, Rep. Joe McEachern, D-Richland, faces multiple challengers in the Democratic primary. John McClencic, Kambrell Garvin and Deyaska Spencer each hope to unseat McEachern, with Libertarian Justin Bishop awaiting the winner.

• With Rep. Todd Atwater seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general, three Republicans are seeking the nomination in Lexington County's District 87. Austin Bowers, Paula Rawl Calhoon and Todd Carnes. Democrat Diane Summers faces the winner.

• Freshman Rep. Micah Caskey, R-Lexington, won't face an easy campaign for a second term in District 89. Even without a November opponent, he has a primary challenge from Billy Oswald.

• Rep. Kit Spires, R-Lexington, seeking a seventh term, faces a challenge in District 96 from Republican Perry Finch. Democrat Bob Vanlue will face the winner.

Elsewhere, Rep. Brian White, the Anderson Republican who chairs the powerful House state budget-writing committee, faces a challenge from Rick Freemantle in District 6. In nearby Pickens County, two-term Rep. Neal Collins — who this year drafted legislation to give immigrants on DACA a break on in-state college tuition — faces a challenge from David Cox and Alan Quinn. Meanwhile, Greenville Rep. Jason Elliott — elected as the state's first openly gay lawmaker last year — faces two GOP primary challenges from Brett Brocato and Samuel Harms.

This story was originally published May 12, 2018 at 10:18 AM with the headline "SC State House reps facing the primary test."