Nine Republican candidates for Congressional District 7 expressed their views on everything from unchecked spending to fair taxes and the constuction of the I-73 interstate during a public event held Thursday night in Litchfield.

The Republicans, who have grown in numbers over the past several months, met in the lobby to distribute campaign literature before taking the podium in the former Tara Theater.

Residents lined up to talk with candidates Tom Rice, Jay Jordan, Andre Bauer, Mande Wilkes, Renee Culler, Chad Prosser, Randall Wallace, Jim Mader and Dick Withington at least an hour before the main program.

The event was sold out, with at least 200 people gathered in the audience to hear from the candidates.

“This new district is so important, and it really is a wonderful opportunity to be able to vote your choice,” said Georgetown County Republican Chairman Jim Jerow.

Withington, a Pawleys Island resident and former owner of Vanguard Computer Systems, told a joke about a pet ant performing tricks and brought props to the stage, such as a sword and a whip.

He was the only candidate to speak against the proposed construction of I-73. He also opposed offshore drilling for oil in Myrtle Beach.

“I-73 sounds like a great idea, but if they want to cut through some wetlands, I have some concerns,” he said. “There is some corruption with the construction of I-73 and we need to watch that. Simplistic political solutions are not the answer. It will only make it worse.”

Other candidates, however, said they saw the link between infrastructure and the dredging of the Port of Georgetown.

“We need roads and jobs,” said Mader “Highway 701 needs to be four laned, and 521 needs to be four laned to I-95. We need to dredge the port in Georgetown and we need to build the roads.”

Other issues brought up during the evening including waste in government and the need for more women in Congress.

Culler, who campaigned with her husband, Tony, and four daughters, said she wants to teach her children that they, too, can be involved in politics.

“I want to represent you in Washington, DC,” she said. “I want to be a voice for all of the women from the state of South Carolina.”

Culler also said she wants to bring God back into the political process.

“Our currency says, ‘In God we trust.’ Our foundation was built on family values and God. Until we put family values back, we are not going to get ahead. We need to get God back in and the government out of our lives. I understand the destructive consequences irresponsible regulations and I know God and family values. We need someone who can sell family values and who can bring God back in our lives.”

Prosser said it “makes him angry to see the government borrowing from the childrens’ future.”

“The state of the union address was painful to watch,” he said. “All we saw, was big government expansions coming from President Obama. Spending cuts were not part of the equation.”

Wilkes said the unemployment rate for veterans is unacceptable. Facing a question from the audience, Wilkes said prior planning is important to find jobs for returning soldiers.

“What we have to do is focus on training and making sure there is a game plan and to help them with career management. I think the answer is in planning, we have to be very careful and make sure there is a plan in place before they are shipped overseas.”

Wallace, who has served 10 years on Myrtle Beach city council, said he understands the diversity in the district.

“We have a lot of important issues,” he said. “We have to have a congressman who understands that it’s a different world in parts of this district. We need to work very hard to bring economic development to this area.”

Rice said his family has deep roots in the area. His mother grew up in Georgetown and her father owned the Square Deal clothing company. “The most pressing issue is the deficit,” he said. “This country is going to go off a cliff with our debt.”

Bauer, the former S.C. lieutenant governor, said the state needs to have a better economy.

“We need to repeal the Dodd-Frank bill, it’s choking opportunity for companies. We have to change the climate as to how to get this economy again. We’ve elected Republicans who didn’t act like Republicans at all.”

By Kelly Marshall Fuller

Kfuller@gtowntimes.com