Six Democrats have filed for a special election in which voters will choose a new senator to represent the district held by slain state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, D-Ridgeland. He was killed in the Charleston church massacre in late June.
No Republicans have filed for the seat that is considered strongly Democratic. Filing ends Monday for the Sept. 1 primary. If needed, a runoff would be Sept. 15, with the general election to be Oct. 20.
Candidates, in alphabetical order, include:
- Chauncey Barnwell, a Hardeeville attorney;
- William Bowman Jr. of Walterboro, a member of the Colleton County School Board;
- Sheree Darien of Ridgeland, a commissioner for the Technical College of the Lowcountry;
- Kent Fletcher, a Bluffton business executive;
- State Rep. Kenneth Hodges of Green Pond; and
- Maggie Bright Matthews, a Walterboro attorney.
Duke Energy steps up to the plate for Riley Institute
Duke Energy employees who wanted to help in the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting have joined with the company to promote diversity and civic participation in the state by helping leadership programs offered by the Riley Institute.
The company is providing $100,000 and a matching grant program for employees to build on the Institute’s successful Diversity Leadership Initiative and its Emerging Diversity Leaders program.
“The outpouring of support from around the state and the nation is awe-inspiring,” said Clark Gillespy, Duke Energy’s president in South Carolina. “In the face of this tragedy, it is important to come together to help our fellow citizens persevere and move forward. I believe these programs will be an important step forward in doing just that.”
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!