GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  There have been a lot of people announce they are running for political office both locally and statewide this year.

Starting Tuesday, they will get to make their candidacies official as the filing period begins for the 2010 mid-term elections.

County Board of Elections Director Donna Mahn said filing for partisan seats will continue through March 30.

In Georgetown County there are three expiring county council seats as well as four school board seats up-for-grabs this year.

The office of the 15th Circuit Solicitor is also expiring this year. Solicitor Greg Hembree has announced he is seeking another term and, so far, no one has said they are running against him.

Since the school board is a non-partisan election, no primary is necessary. Filing for those seats will not take place until August.

County Council seats

The three expiring council seats are in Districts 1,6 and 7.

In District 6, covering parts of the Waccamaw Neck, Councilman Glen O’Connell, a Republican, announced last year he will not seek another term.

Pawleys Island resident Barry McCall, a retired magistrate, has said he will run for the seat but has not said in which party he will file.

Georgetown County Planning Commission member Brian Henry is also  thinking about running for the seat as a Republican.

In District 1, covering the Murrells Inlet area, Republican Councilman Jerry Oakley is seeking reelection.

County Council Chairman Johnny Morant, a Democrat representing District 7, will also be on the ballot this year.

No one has announced plans to challenge Oakley or Morant.

State House seats

Both Vida Miller and Carl Anderson hold expiring seats in the S.C. House of Representatives and both are seeking another term.

Miller —  the House Seat 108 occupant — will face a challenge.

In October, Kevin Ryan, a 21-year-old Pawleys Island resident, announced plans to seek the Republican nomination for that seat.

Anderson, who holds House Seat 103,  is being opposed by Ted Brown who held that position for eight years in the 1990s.

State offices

There will be quite a few state offices on the ballot this year, including the governor’s seat.

Gov. Mark Sanford cannot seek another term but there are plenty of people hoping to step into his position in January.

On the Democratic side, state Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Kershaw County are seeking their party’s nomination.

On the Republican ticket, the announced candidates are U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett of Westminster, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington and state Attorney General Henry McMaster.

For the office of lieutenant governor, the announced Republican candidates are Ken Ard, Bill Connor of Lexington and Larry Richter.

 The only announced Democrat running is Ashley Cooper of Charleston.

The other statewide offices that will be on the ballot this year are for State Superintendent of Education, Secretary of State, Adjutant General, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture,  Comptroller General, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Education and Treasurer.

U.S. Congress

The most crowded race that will be on the ballot is for U.S. District one being vacated by the retiring Republican Henry Brown.

The GOP candidates seeking the seat are: Carroll Campbell III, Katherine Jeanerette, Tim Scott, Paul Thurmond, Stovalll Witte, Ryan Buckhannon, Mark Lutz, Larry Krobovksy and Clark Parker.

Democrats who have announced are Colonel Robert D. Burton, Dick Withington and Robert Dobbs.

The books open

Any Democrat wanting to run for one of the local seats can file starting Tuesday at the Steelworkers Union Hall at 1515 Butts Street in Georgetown.

To find out about the hours filing will take place, call Herbert Dennison at 527-1629.

Republican candidates can file by contacting the county’s GOP Chairman, Tom Swatzel, at 527-3209.

The filing fee for the three county council seats is  $485.54. For the S.C. House seats, the filing fee is $208.

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com