A procrastinator’s guide to SC’s 2022 statewide primary elections. What voters should know
We’re days away from South Carolina voters casting ballots in the June 14 statewide primary elections. And, maybe, you’ve taken a break from all things politics and still don’t know who will be on the ballot Tuesday.
That’s fine. No judgment.
It’s why we’re here. First, a reminder: South Carolina’s two-week no-excuse early voting period ended Friday. After that, you’ll have to vote on Election Day. Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
If you’re just now studying up before voting, here’s a list of the candidates in major South Carolina races that will be on Columbia-area ballots.
For more information on voting and to get your sample ballot, you can visit the State Election Commission (scvotes.org).
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SC governor’s race
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will be on the ballot Tuesday, but all eyes are on who will win the Democratic primary.
The two frontrunners in the race are state Sen. Mia McLeod and Joe Cunningham, a former congressman from the 1st District.
Over the last few days, the race has picked up ahead of the primary, and the two faced off for the first time on the debate stage in Columbia Friday. Whoever wins will still be faced with the daunting challenge of running against a Republican incumbent who has brought in more than $5 million.
Cunningham raised about $1.8 million this cycle, and McLeod raised $492,000.
▪ Republican primary: Incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster and Harrison Musselwhite
▪ Democratic primary: Carlton Boyd, Joe Cunningham, state Sen. Mia McLeod, Calvin Mack McMillan, William Williams
On the race in general
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Republicans
In 1st TV ad of cycle, McMaster knocks DC Democrats and touts SC’s COVID response
SC’s McMaster says he’d back restrictive abortion bills without exceptions with Roe out
SC Gov. McMaster makes trip to Mar-a-Lago to visit with former President Trump
Possible 2024 hopeful Mike Pompeo endorses SC Gov. McMaster’s reelection bid
Trump’s family member to offer SC Gov. McMaster fundraising boost ahead of 2022
Democrats
SC government chops or a candidate who flipped GOP seat? Gov hopefuls head to primary
Top Richland, SC lawmaker backs Joe Cunningham for governor one week before primary
Outraged SC Sen. McLeod releases tweet storm after Richland lawmaker backs opponent
SC Sen. McLeod’s backers sticking with the gov candidate after she targets lawmaker
SC Democratic candidates for governor to finally meet on debate stage. How to watch
Cunningham proposes new gov debate date after McLeod criticizes SC Democrat in video
McLeod challenges Cunningham to SC debate 2 weeks before Democratic gov primary
Governor hopeful says he’ll raise SC teacher pay, ‘do something’ about crime in new TV ad
5 weeks until SC primary, are the Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls connecting with voters?
SC Democrats vie for gubernatorial nomination. Here’s where McLeod, Cunningham race stands
Governor hopeful Joe Cunningham wants SC to legalize sports betting
South Carolina candidate for governor says he’s switching parties after $15 wage split
Joe Cunningham calls on SC’s Henry McMaster to ‘do your job, or step aside’ in first ad
Democrat SC Sen. Mia McLeod launches 2022 campaign for governor
Joe Cunningham wants to change SC Democrats’ gubernatorial chances. But can he?
Superintendent of education
South Carolina will elect a new schools chief this year in what projects to be one of the more competitive — and consequential — contests in the state.
Twelve candidates — eight Republicans, three Democrats and one Green — jumped into this year’s race after incumbent state Superintendent Molly Spearman announced last October she would not seek a third term.
The field narrowed to 10 this spring after two Republican candidates dropped out because they lacked the statutory qualifications to hold the office — namely, an advanced degree. Two other unqualified Republican candidates remain in the race, but are pursuing the requisite master’s degrees and expect to complete them by the general election.
▪ Republican primary
Candidate: Ellen Weaver
Weaver, a longtime aide to former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint who leads the conservative think tank he launched in 2013, has racked up dozens of endorsements from Republican politicians and is the race’s leading fundraiser.
One of two Republican candidates who lacks an advanced degree, Weaver, the immediate past chairman of South Carolina’s Education Oversight Committee, enrolled earlier this year in an online master’s program at Bob Jones University in Greenville that she expects to complete by November.
She’s a strong proponent of school choice for all, including voucher programs, and a defender of parents’ right to direct their children’s education. Weaver opposes COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates, and believes so-called critical race theory has no place in South Carolina classrooms.
She wants to transform the teacher pay scale to reward educators for “initiative and high-quality teaching” rather than “time in service, titles and degrees,” and hopes to raise teacher salaries to the national average within five years.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $327,029
Candidate: Kathy Maness
Maness is a former third-grade teacher and longtime executive director of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, South Carolina’s largest teachers advocacy group.
She also serves on the Lexington Town Council and is the immediate past president of the National League of Cities.
Maness trails only Weaver in fundraising, with much of her support coming from educators, and has been endorsed by state Superintendent Molly Spearman. She is focused on improving school safety, reducing paperwork for teachers and testing for students, restoring discipline in the classroom and working to recruit and retain more teachers.
Maness’ campaign website emphasizes her support for empowering parents, eliminating critical race theory and providing school choice for all, but she has not stressed those views on the campaign trail and in the past opposed public money going to private schools in the form of vouchers.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $115,301
Candidate: Travis Bedson
Bedson is a North Charleston businessman who founded and runs CNT Foundations, a general contractor that specializes in foundation repair.
Like Weaver, he lacks a master’s degree but is enrolled in an online program and expects to finish by the general election.
Bedson, whose campaign website leads with a photo of him standing beside former President Donald Trump, said he wants to bring “common sense” solutions to bear on South Carolina’s education challenges. For Bedson, that means putting more money in the classroom, giving teachers more support and better preparing children to join the workforce.
He’s an advocate for parents rights who has vowed to fight any “woke” agenda, including critical race theory and social emotional learning, and opposes mask and vaccine mandates.
Bedson is a school choice proponent who wants to revitalize parent teacher associations, refocus education on the basics – reading, writing, math and science — and commit to more robust trade programs for non-college-bound students.
Outside campaign contributions: $28,535
Candidate: Kizzi Gibson
Gibson is a visual arts teacher in Lexington 1 school district and a leading member of a number of local and state Republican organizations.
Her platform calls for revamping teacher recruitment and retention efforts, introducing students to the more patriotic approach to U.S. history found in conservative Hillsdale College’s 1776 curriculum and increasing school safety by hiring trained guards and installing metal detectors in all middle and high schools.
She supports the creation of a tip line where parents, teachers and community members can report “nefarious” incidents, such as the promotion of critical race theory or the “sexualization” of students, and a live catalog of all books and resources being used in classrooms or school libraries so parents know what their children are being taught.
Gibson supports school choice for all students, says struggling districts should get a larger share of state money and wants to cut the Department of Education’s bureaucracy while weaning the state off of federal education funds.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $22,246
Candidate: Lynda Leventis-Wells
Leventis-Wells is a Greenville County school board member with a background in law enforcement and education.
She has worked as deputy psychologist and investigator for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, taught courses at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, served as a guidance counselor and physical education teacher and coach in Greenville County schools, and oversaw Greenville Technical College’s criminal justice program.
In 2012, Leventis-Wells was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by former Gov. Nikki Haley.
She says parents should be the primary decision makers for their children, supports a wide range of school choice options, including private school vouchers, and opposes mask mandates, mandatory vaccines and the teaching of critical race theory, according to her campaign website.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $19,770
Candidate: Bryan Chapman
Chapman is a pastor, entrepreneur and Florence 1 school board member with diverse career experience.
Over the years, he’s served as a hospice chaplain, worked as a tow truck driver, launched daycare and transportation-related businesses, and founded the Pee Dee Community Fellowship Church, where he serves as senior pastor.
Chapman is passionate about increasing opportunities for non-college-bound students, wants to ease teacher certification standards to attract more educators and would institute a sex trafficking safety curriculum in all districts across the state.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $2,370
▪ Democratic primary
Candidate: Lisa Ellis
Ellis is a journalism teacher and student activities director at Blythewood High School in Richland 2, and the founder of SC for Ed, the most progressive of the state’s teachers groups.
In 2019, the grassroots group organized a massive march at the State House to demand better pay, smaller class sizes and improved working conditions for teachers.
Ellis’ platform focuses on those same goals, while also calling for more equitable school funding, reducing standardized testing and hiring more school mental health counselors and nurses.
She’s against public money being sent to private schools in the form of school vouchers or educational savings accounts, opposes the censorship of teachers and instructional materials and advocates for school safety and more support for special education programs.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $28,415
Candidate: Jerry Govan
Govan is a longtime state lawmaker from Orangeburg County who sits on the House Education and Public Works Committee and previously served as chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus.
Outside of politics, he worked as an attendance supervisor and dropout prevention coordinator in Orangeburg County and in various capacities in Orangeburg County schools.
Govan opted to run for state superintendent this year rather than seek another term in the House after being drawn out of his district during last year’s reapportionment.
He wants to raise starting teachers’ pay to $65,000 per year, ensure schools are safe and up-to-date, and enhance training and support for education professionals.
Govan also said he wants to take politics out of education and believes in a parent’s role as their child’s first teacher.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $8,505
Candidate: Gary Burgess
Burgess is a member of the Anderson County Board of Education and the former superintendent of Anderson County School District 4.
He also serves as spokesman for Florence 4 school district, has run his own consulting company and has taught classes at Converse College and The Citadel, South Carolina’s military public, according to his campaign website bio.
Burgess is running on a teacher-first platform and favors better pay and enhanced professional development for educators. He wants more support for teachers and does not think they should have to worry about harassment or “frivolous” lawsuits.
Schools, Burgess says, “should ensure the fair and balanced teaching of the history of our nation, our region and our state.”
While he says private schools play an important role in society, Burgess says public dollars should not be diverted to private or religious schools.
Outside campaign contributions, as of May 25: $8,034
Attorney General
The race for attorney general, the state’s top prosecutor, is up for election this year.
There are no Democrats on the ballot but there are two Republicans: incumbent Alan Wilson and Lauren Martel, who describes herself on her campaign website as a “corruption fighter” and “champion of transparency.”
Wilson was first elected attorney general in 2010. He is seeking his fourth term in office.
US Senate
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has no primary challenger this cycle, but will face one of three Democrats vying for the nomination next week.
Scott, one of the Senate’s leading fundraisers, has raised well over $44 million for his campaign.
Running in the Democratic primary are: Catherine Fleming Bruce, Angela Geter and state Rep. Krystle Matthews, D-Berkeley.
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6th Congressional District
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, is seeking reelection to the 6th District, which covers areas of the Midlands to the Lowcountry. Clyburn has served in his leadership role since 2019, and in Congress for nearly 30 years. He has more than $2 million in the bank ahead of his primary election.
Clyburn, 81, faces two primary candidates on Election Day. There also are two long-shot Republican candidates seeking their party’s nomination to face Clyburn in November.
▪ Democratic primary: Clyburn, Michael Addison and Gregg Marcel Dixon
▪ Republican primary: Duke Buckner and A. Sonia Morris
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‘Kingmaker’ Democrat Clyburn wins 15th term in SC’s 6th District
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Jim Clyburn says Joe Biden deserves more credit than he gets ahead of visit to SC HBCU
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In race between 2 Democrats, SC’s Clyburn heads to Ohio to show his support for one
SC’s Jim Clyburn warns Democratic infighting may cost party majority in 2022
Election 2022: Primaries shift focus to control of US House
This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
