Some friends have asked me who I am voting for on Tuesday and why. Here are my choices and the reasons for them.
First, there are no ballot questions this time. Only four contests are to be determined in my Republican voting precinct.
State Senate District 27
Allen Blackmon
Penry Gustafson
I will be voting for Allen Blackmon, plain and simple. Penry Gustafson has been a significant disappointment, considering that I supported her in 2020 on her word that she was a conservative Republican. She proved to be neither. She is a true Democrat. Her votes on the Right to Life and the Second Amendment prove that she does not deserve another term and should be retired immediately. In my conversations with him, Allen Blackmon convinced me he is a true conservative and will carry that philosophy to Columbia. Vote for Allen!
Solicitor Circuit 4
Mike Burch
Shipp Daniel
My vote will be for Shipp Daniel. Although either would do a good job, Mike Burch has two strikes against him. First, his family is a political powerhouse in the Pageland area. His father is Paul Burch, the judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, the same circuit that Mike wishes to be the Solicitor. This, I believe, presents a conflict of interest. Further, his mother is on the County Board of Education and the Board of Directors of NETC. I don’t believe that a single family should have control over multiple governmental areas. Mike’s campaign also lowered standards when it tried to blame his opponent when he tried to equate the high crime rate in Dillion County to Shipp Daniel. A solicitor has no control over the commission of legal acts, but rather, they have total control over the prosecution of those who commit those crimes. Shipp’s record of a convection rate over 98% and his total convections of 1000 plus proves that he does an outstanding job of getting the bad guys off the streets. Vote for Shipp!
Clerk of Court
Suzanne Eddins
Christy F Gaddy
I am voting for Christy Gaddy. She, along with Ben Conklin, were the first Republicans ever elected in Chesterfield County back in 2020. Christy has done a great job and has also been a true Republican. She deserves another term. Vote for Christy!
County Council District 5
Benjamin H Conklin Jr
Eddie Kirkley
This one is the simplest of all. I am voting for Ben Conklin. Ben was the first Republican ever elected to the County Council. For the first two years, he was ostracized by the council because he was a Republican and had defeated a long-standing Democratic friend of theirs. He has worked hard to understand the system, learn how he can positively affect the council, and, at the same time, offer outstanding services to his constituents. Vote for Ben!