Read all the Editorial Board’s November general election endorsements in one handy place | Opinion

The opportunity to vote in the 2024 election that opened in South Carolina on Oct. 21 closes Tuesday on Election Day. Read on to see all of our recommendations and to make our research part of yours.

Editorial Board members for The State, The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, and The Sun News interviewed and researched candidates running for all seven South Carolina congressional seats and for other offices in Beaufort, Lexington and Richland counties. We also researched sales tax proposals in Beaufort and Richland counties. We hope our candidate Q&As, commentaries and recommendations serve as a voter guide to provide a better understanding of the candidates and issues.

You can read brief summaries of our 30 recommendations below and click through to read any of our complete endorsements and full candidate interviews. In a separate column, you can also read why this is the third time in the last four presidential elections we did not make a presidential endorsement. This is, by far, the most endorsements we’ve published in any given election in recent memory.

Ultimately, your vote is yours alone. Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can reach me for any reason at mhall@thestate.com.

Our congressional endorsements

In southeastern District 1, The State Editorial Board endorses Democrat Michael B. Moore over Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, in part because of her demeanor. Mace’s reversal and refusal to answer questions on the events of Jan. 6, 2021, are just one example of how she is guided by a personal agenda rather than principles.

In central District 2, The State Editorial Board endorses Republican Rep. Joe Wilson over Democrat David Robinson II. After 31 years in the Army, 17 in the state Senate and 23 in Congress, Wilson would remain a steady presence on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees.

In western District 3, The State Editorial Board endorses Republican Sheri Biggs over two opponents for an open seat. A nurse practitioner, a nursing home administrator and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, Biggs would bring actual experience to discussions in need of it: health care and the military.

In northwestern District 4, The State Editorial Board endorses Democrat Kathryn Harvey over three-term Republican Rep. William Timmons. Timmons ignored our candidate survey and has shown he’s not taking Harvey seriously by campaigning more outside the district for other Republican candidates, but he ignores Harvey at his peril.

In northern District 5, The State Editorial Board endorses Republican Rep. Ralph Norman over Democrat Evangeline Hundley. Norman’s top priority — reining in government spending and paying down the national debt — is a laudable goal that both parties should share.

In central and southwestern District 6, The State Editorial Board endorses Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn over Republican Duke Buckner. Clyburn was first elected in 1992 and at 83 is South Carolina’s oldest and longest-serving member of Congress for a reason: His word carries weight.

In northeastern District 7, The State Editorial Board endorses incumbent Republican Rep. Russell Fry over Democrat Mal Hyman. Fry was one of only two congressional candidates to not reply to our questionnaire. Hyman seemed thoughtful but was hard to reach for follow-up questions. Given he has lost two other races for this seat since 2018, we reluctantly endorse Fry.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our seven choices for Congress in South Carolina

Our General Assembly endorsements

In state House District 75 in central Richland County, The State Editorial Board endorses Democratic Rep. Heather Bauer over Republican former Rep. Kirkman Finlay III. Finlay had 10 years of state House service when Bauer narrowly beat him in 2022, so the question now is what, if anything, has she done so badly that voters should replace her. Nothing, in our opinion.

In state Senate District 10, which includes Greenwood County and parts of Saluda and Lexington counties, The State Editorial Board endorses two-term Republican Rep. Billy Garrett over Democrat Francie Kleckley. We were more impressed on balance with Garrett’s practical budget experience, calls for earmark reform and focus on technical and trade colleges.

In state Senate District 26, which slices Calhoun, Lexington and Richland counties, The State Editorial Board endorses Democratic Rep. Russell Ott over Republican Jason Guerry to replace retiring Sen. Nikki Setzler in a newly drawn district. Ott has more experience. First elected to the House in a special election in 2013, Ott is very thoughtful as well.

In state Senate District 35 in parts of Kershaw, Lee, Richland and Sumter counties, The State Editorial Board endorses Democrat Jeffrey Graham over Republican Mike Jones to replace outgoing Sen. Thomas McElveen. Graham’s public service would allow him to better handle the learning curve awaiting new members of the state’s most deliberative body.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our choices for General Assembly in South Carolina

Our Richland 1 endorsements

Voters in the Richland 1 school district have a stark choice in the Nov. 5 election about the direction and leadership of their seven-member school board: Accept the status quo or end it. It’s time for voters to send a clear message and restore trust in this school district. The State Editorial Board endorses voting against all four incumbents and for Angela Brown, Richard Moore, Steven Diaz and Ericka Roberson Hursey in Richland 1.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our four choices for Richland 1 school board

Our Richland 2 endorsements

The State Editorial Board endorses Brenda Branic, Dionne Sumpter Fleshman and Shelley Williams for the three Richland 2 seats after three candidates — two incumbents and one challenger — did not reply to our questions. Voters who are looking for more civil and responsible leaders have great choices. Electing Branic, Fleshman and Williams would be a big step in the right direction for Richland 2.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our three choices for Richland 2 school board

Our Lexington 1 endorsements

The State Editorial Board endorses incumbent Kathy Henson, Mariel Taylor, David P. Terry and Shelton Yonce. In 2022, more than 101,000 voters cast ballots to send three new members onto the board. At least two new members will join them this year because incumbents Brent Powers and Chair Anne Marie Green did not seek re-election.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our four choices for Lexington 1 school board

Our Lexington-Richland 5 endorsements

With hope the board will prioritize academics over acrimony, The State Editorial Board endorses Scott Herring and incumbent Catherine Huddle over former board member Kenneth Loveless in Lexington County, and Mike Ward over Jason Baynham in Richland County. Loveless is unfit to serve, which leaves Herring and Huddle to be elected. We gave Ward an edge over Baynham because he has volunteered in schools since 2014.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our three choices for Lexington-Richland 5 school board

Our Richland County sheriff endorsement

The State Editorial Board endorses Leon Lott for Richland County Sheriff. If the Democrat wins an eighth term and serves all of it, he will have served in the department for 50 years, including 18 rising in the ranks from 1975-1993. Republican former Sgt. Jim Walker is a strong candidate, but the reality is the only thing that can beat Lott at this point is Lott himself. So this should have been an easy endorsement. Then The Washington Post published a bombshell story in September.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our Richland County sheriff choice

Our Richland County tax recommendation

The State Editorial Board recommends a “no” vote — because there are too few safeguards to ensure the money would be wisely spent, there is no prioritized project list to know where the money would go, and residents should be skeptical about how the county would spend the money given its history of mismanaging transportation tax revenue and the toothlessness of a watchdog committee that has long been seen as having too little power.

For more of our thinking, please read The State endorsement: Our recommendation on the Richland County 1% sales tax

Our Beaufort County Council endorsement

The Island Packet Editorial Board needs just four words for our Beaufort County Council endorsements: Vote the bums out. Here are a few more.

In Council District 1, The Island Packet Editorial Board endorses Republican Adam Biery over incumbent Democrat Gerald Dawson. Dawson has checked out on his constituency, ignoring repeated requests for comment. By contrast, Biery understands the need to rebuild public trust in the council.

In Council District 7, The Island Packet Editorial Board endorses Democrat Sarah McCarty over Republican incumbent Logan Cunningham. McCarty would bring a fresh start like Biery. Her answers to our survey were detailed, nuanced, reasonable and thoughtful.

For more of our thinking, please read The Island Packet endorsement: Our two choices for Beaufort County Council

Our Beaufort County tax recommendation

The Island Packet Editorial Board recommends a vote against the tax, which seeks too much money over too long a time frame when the last transportation tax revenue was mismanaged. Voters would be foolish to trust the county with nearly $1 billion of taxpayer money given it is being secretive about five years of its own fiscal shenanigans.

For more of our thinking, please read The Island Packet endorsement: Our recommendation on the Beaufort County 1% sales tax

Matthew T. Hall

Opinion Contributor,

The State

Matthew T. Hall is a former journalist for The State