Are SC House races Tuesday a changing of the guard?

A Richland County race on Tuesday will give voters the option of sticking with a familiar face they have known for years or choosing a political newcomer who could shake things up.

State Rep. Joe McEachern, D-Richland, has held his northern Richland District 77 seat in the S.C. House for 10 years. Prior to joining the Legislature, McEachern was the chairman of Richland County Council.

But on June 12, the incumbent finished just seven votes ahead of Kambrell Garvin, a 26-year-old law student at the University of South Carolina seeking his first elected office. The two will face off in a Democratic runoff on Tuesday.

McEachern touts his experience as an asset that voters should prize.

"If I'm told, 'Joe, handle this bill,' I understand how to introduce a bill, get it through the subcommittee, the full committee and onto the House floor," McEachern said. "When a challenger says, 'I'll pass a bill,' well, those are different things."

A first-time candidate won't necessarily know that turning legislation into law is "like watching paint dry," McEachern said.

But Garvin, a Columbia native, says he will be a "strong voice" on the area's needs, whether health care access, education or economic development. He mentions the $25 million that Columbia International University plans to spend in the Crane Creek/Denny Terrace area as an example to replicate.

"Longtime elected officials always cite experience," Garvin said. "Longevity has its value, but what do you do to push the community forward? I'm not going to sit on the back bench. I'm going to be a vocal advocate."

The incumbent says he understands the district, which stretches north from the Interstate 20 area to the Fairfield County line. The district has changed over the past decade, he added, with older longtime residents mixing with younger people moving into the growing area.

"I represent parents and children, and, sometimes, children can have very different political ideas than their parents," McEachern said.

McEachern thinks his time serving at both the state and county level gives him the knowledge to deal with the area's growing pains and to better connect constituents with the services that fit their needs.

Garvin also feels a connection with the area.

He went door-knocking as a young volunteer with the local NAACP. Eventually, he headed the S.C. NAACP's youth and college division. After graduating from Winthrop University, he was a public schoolteacher in Colleton County for three years.

Garvin said he is optimistic about his chances of winning Tuesday. More than 62 percent of primary voters "supported someone other than the incumbent," he noted.

"It's time for fresh leadership," Garvin said.

'You have to do it yourself'

Meanwhile, Republican voters in one Lexington County district have their own runoff decision to make.

District 87 GOP voters will choose between Paula Rawl Calhoon, a former Lexington 1 schoolteacher and staff researcher for the state Senate, and Todd Carnes, a Lexington town council member and former pastor.

Calhoon points to her past careers, and the three grandchildren she has in Lexington, as preparation for entering the S.C. House. She hopes to address the area's growth and infrastructure needs, and ensure a tax reform proposal brings the state's tax code in line with the tax cuts passed by President Donald Trump.

"I've been a public servant my entire life," Calhoon said.

Carnes, who is general manager of Southern Med Pediatrics, said his time on town government has prepared him to deal with large budgets and infrastructure projects.

"I understand municipal, county and state responsibilities, and I can build unity and a coherent vision," Carnes said.

While Carnes is the current elected official in the race, Calhoon is the wife of former 11th Circuit Solicitor Donnie Myers. Despite Myers' decades in elected office, Calhoon says he's kept out of her campaign.

"He told me, 'You decided to do this, and now you have to do it yourself,'" Calhoon said.

Searching for a new campaign manager

In the aftermath of his victory in the June 12 primary, Democratic nominee for governor James Smith is overseeing a change in his campaign staff.

Smith's spokeswoman, Alyssa Miller, confirmed campaign manager Mike McCauley is no longer with the campaign. "We are grateful for his incredible work and for his leadership in helping us achieve our 62 percent landslide victory in the primary."

Moving forward, Miller said the campaign is working with the Democratic Governors Association to find a campaign manager.

"We have a nationwide search on and have been talking to plenty of folks who are both talented and that we are confident would help Democrats take back the Governor's Mansion in November."

Endorsement watch

▪ In his bid for the GOP nomination for governor, John Warren received the backing of state Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, and former S.C. First Lady Ann Edwards, widow of former Gov. James Edwards.

▪ Gov. Henry McMaster was endorsed by state Adjutant Gen. Bob Livingston.

▪ Democratic congressional candidates Annabelle Robertson in the 2nd District, Doris Lee Turner in the 4th District and Mal Hyman in the 7th District were each endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Staff writer Maayan Schechter contributed.

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Are SC House races Tuesday a changing of the guard?."