Does state Sen. Richard Harpootlian deserve to be re-elected? Here’s what we think

South Carolinians need lawmakers who relentlessly demand that state government operate in an open and transparent manner — and who aren’t afraid to sound the alarm when accountability is missing.

Thankfully it is a role that District 20 state Sen. Richard Harpootlian has embraced with relish and effectiveness in the Legislature — and the Columbia Democrat deserves the reward that should come with doing so.

On Nov. 3 the voters of District 20, which stretches from sections of downtown Columbia to portions of Irmo in Lexington County, should enthusiastically re-elect Harpootlian.

Influential, effective

A longtime local attorney, Harpootlian has made a huge impact as a freshman state senator; in fact, a case could be made that he’s been one of the body’s most influential members over the past two years.

For example, it was Harpootlian who played the lead role in uncovering the Legislature’s longtime shameful practice of allowing secretive lawmakers to quietly secure millions of taxpayer dollars to fund pet projects.

It was Harpootlian who had the foresight to aggressively use the Freedom of Information Act to force the public disclosure of documents that revealed the Department of Commerce’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering to use lavish tax breaks to attract companies and the NFL Carolina Panthers to the state.

And it was Harpootlian who exposed the questionable spending practices of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport board, including a costly marketing agreement that gave board members access to free USC game tickets and a luxury suite in Colonial Life Arena.

In short Harpootlian has been a champion for open government as a lawmaker — and the citizens of South Carolina need every ally they can get in the endless battle to prevent their tax dollars from being wasted.

Despite his relatively brief period in the state Senate, Harpootlian has already drawn scorn from critics who accuse him of being abrasive, combative and overly fond of using harsh language.

But Harpootlian told The State Editorial Board that such barbs were a small price to pay for keeping the public aware of what’s being done in its name.

“If that’s combative, that’s fine by me,” Harpootlian said.

And it certainly should be fine by the voters of District 20, too.

Dunn: Earnest, thoughtful

Harpootlian is being opposed by Republican Benjamin Dunn, who is making his second attempt at the District 20 seat: in a November 2018 special election Dunn lost to Harpootlian in a fairly close race.

Like Harpootlian, Dunn is a Columbia-based lawyer, and the Republican told The State Editorial Board that he wants to focus on addressing the state’s budget challenges.

“We can spend our money far more wisely than we have been,” Dunn said.

Dunn accused Harpootlian of being a divisive and polarizing figure in the Legislature, and said the district needed someone who would build bridges, rather than burn them, with other lawmakers.

“(With Harpootlian) there’s way too much of this idea that the people on the other side are the enemy,” Dunn said.

Dunn is an earnest and thoughtful candidate with an admirable record of service: he’s a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina Army National Guard and was awarded a Bronze Star during a deployment in Afghanistan.

But by any objective measure Harpootlian has served the citizens of District 20 well.

He deserves to be re-elected.

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 2:25 PM.