Who's running - and who's not - as SC election deadline looms

S.C. politicians dreaming of elected office in 2018 have only a few more hours to make it a reality.

Filing for candidates in the 2018 elections closes at noon Friday. At that point, the ballot will be set for the Democratic and Republican primaries on June 12. Candidates without a primary challenger will move straight to the general election on Nov. 6.

On the last full day of filing Thursday, some announced statewide candidates still were coming in to pay their filing fees. Former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill of Williamsburg filed in the GOP primary for governor on Thursday, joining incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant, former state agency director Catherine Templeton and Greenville businessman John Warren.

S.C. Democrats got their last announced candidate when Phil Noble, a Charleston business and technology consultant, filed Thursday afternoon. Noble joins state Rep. James Smith, D-Richland, and Florence attorney Marguerite Willis in the Democratic race.

Trav Robertson, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party, said his party has the largest number of candidates running that it has seen in years, with challengers running for a third of the GOP-held S.C. House seats. "It surpasses what we've seen in the last 10 to 15 years."

But S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick noted his party still holds the advantage in total number of candidates, including in some races that remain uncontested.

"You see a lot of candidates who want to run under the Republican banner, and fewer people who want to run under the Democrats, and I can't blame them," McKissick said.

A full list of up-to-date filings is available at www.thestate.com.

Little statewide competition

Most statewide offices have only Republican incumbents seeking re-election, or GOP incumbents who face only third-party opposition in November.

On Thursday, however, Charleston law professor Constance Anastapoulo announced she would run as a Democrat in the attorney general's race. Incumbent Alan Wilson faces two GOP primary challengers, William Herlong and state Rep. Todd Atwater.

Likewise, longtime Secretary of State Mark Hammond faces a GOP primary challenge from Nelson Faerber, state Rep. Joshua Putnam and Kerry Wood. Democrat Melvin Whittenburg also is running for the statewide post.

State education Superintendent Molly Spearman will face a Democratic challenger in Israel Romero.

Democrat Robertson said he expects "one or two more candidates" to file for statewide office before filing closes.

Congressional contests

Forty-three candidates have filed to run for Congress from South Carolina so far, giving voters in six out of the state's seven congressional districts a primary race to vote in this June.

Democrats have multiple candidates in every race except the 6th District, where incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn is unopposed. Republicans have contested congressional primaries in the 1st, 4th and 7th districts.

The retirement of U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-Spartanburg, from his Upstate district means voters will have no fewer than 15 candidates to choose from in the 4th District, including six Democrats, 11 Republicans and a member of the American Party.

"In the 4th District, they're lining up around the block," the GOP's McKissick said. "Trey Gowdy leaves big shoes to fill, and any time you have an open seat, I expect to see more people go out and put their name on the line."

"It shows the dissatisfaction people have with Washington," Robertson said. "They're tired of one set of rules for the people that control everything, and another for hard-working people."

Where is Richland County's top prosecutor?

The solicitor for Richland and Kershaw counties still had not filed for re-election.

Incumbent Dan Johnson has been dogged by questions about his office's spending in recent weeks, and Columbia defense attorney Byron Gipson has filed to challenge Johnson for the seat in the June Democratic primary.

This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Who's running - and who's not - as SC election deadline looms."