The State endorsement: Our choices for SC state House

Republicans currently control the part-time South Carolina House of Representatives 88-36, and such GOP dominance is on display in the June 11 primary election in Lexington and Richland counties. Of 17 candidates in eight central, contested state House races, 11 are Republicans and six are Democrats. The State Editorial Board is making endorsements in Democratic primaries in districts 72, 73, and 79 and GOP primaries in districts 75, 85, 87, 88 and 96. Fall challengers await in districts 75, 79, 87 and 88.

In District 72, The State endorses Democratic three-term incumbent Rep. Seth Rose. He was a Richland County Solicitor’s Office prosecutor for four years and a Richland County Council member for eight before being elected to the State House in 2018. His challenger Tate Few moved to Columbia in 2023 and is attending law school at University of South Carolina. Both rely on data and appreciate nuance, but Rose’s experience made this an easy pick.

In District 73, The State endorses Democratic nine-term incumbent Rep. Chris Hart. An attorney, Hart both knows and explains complex issues well. His main priority is education, he holds town hall forums to hear from constituents and he wants the state to invest in modern financial management systems to enhance transparency, accuracy and accountability. Amen. As a younger candidate, challenger Touami Pride shows promise, but Hart is too impressive.

In District 75, The State endorses Republican former Rep. Kirkman Finlay III. Finlay had 10 years of State House service when Democrat Heather Bauer narrowly beat him in 2022. Now she will face the GOP primary winner this fall: Finlay or retired teacher Tracy Robins. Finlay shrewdly touts his State House connections and experience. Robins promises a fresh start. But Finlay has a better handle on and a more holistic approach to complex energy issues than Robins.

In District 79, The State endorses Democrat Hamilton Grant. He and Jonnieka Farr would both ably replace Rep. Ivory Thigpen, who is running for state Senate. Both would focus on education, health care and road improvements. (Hardscrabble Road would be nice.) Yet Grant’s goals have more specifics, especially on housing, and he rightly calls for more funding for South Carolina State University, the state’s only public, historically Black land-grant institution.

In District 85, The State endorses Republican Dean Widener. Touting 39 years of military service, he is challenging incumbent Rep. Jay Kilmartin, one of 17 Freedom Caucus members who have stalled legislation and progress with their principles and stunts. Kilmartin decries federal funding as “bribe money used to socially engineer a political ideology.” Widener decries “gotcha votes” and seems far less of an idealogue.

In District 87, The State endorses Republican three-term incumbent Rep. Paula Rawl Calhoon. She thinks holistically about issues like education, economic expansion and environmental concerns, and challengers J. Michael Beatty Jr. and Todd Limehouse can’t compete. Beatty Jr. didn’t try. He did not respond to our questionnaire. Limehouse’s learning curve is too steep. Asked to assess the state’s future energy needs, he said, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know.”

In District 88, The State endorses Republican Lorelei Graye. Incumbent Rep. R.J. May, a Freedom Caucus member, said he would respond to our candidate survey but then ignored it, so we did our own research. Graye’s and May’s conservative views both fit the district. But Graye, a financial professional, offers multifaceted solutions for complex issues like energy, and vowed to be “committed to responsible governance.” That resonated with us.

In District 96, The State endorses two-term Republican Rep. Ryan McCabe. A Freedom Caucus founder, McCabe is a lawyer with some thoughtful views. He told the Lexington County Republican Party he could accept federal funds with strings and he favors paper ballots on Election Day but that electronic voting can work when not connected to the internet. Challenger Mike Sturkie’s positions largely lacked such nuance and specificity.

This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 8:10 AM.