Congressional candidates for the Republican nomination to the new U.S. House District 7 seat will meet in a debate on May 22.
The debate will be jointly sponsored by Georgetown County Republican Party, Georgetown Times and its sister publications the Waccamaw Times and the Inlet Outlook, and by the Coastal Observer of Pawleys Island.
The public debate will be the first event to be held in the new Waccamaw High School Auditorium, where finishing touches are being made to the 650-seat facility.
Dr. Randy Dozier, Superintendent of Schools for Georgetown County, and WHS principal David Hammel said they are delighted to host this live civic lesson for the community.
Tommy Howard of Georgetown Communications and Charles Swenson of the Coastal Observer will ask questions of the nine Republican candidates.
The newspapers will solicit questions from their readers through their papers, Web sites and Facebook.
The county Teacher’s Forum will also participate by helping sort out questions submitted by readers and may add in their own.
The school district will videotape the debate and make it available to schools in the county and throughout the 7th Congressional District. That area includes eight counties in the northeastern corner of South Carolina.
So far, nine people have indicated they plan to file to run for the Republican nomination.
Another five people have said they will seek the Democratic nomination.
Once the filing deadline of noon on Friday, March 30 is passed, local media outlets will publicize the names of all candidates who have paid their filing fees for both parties and completed their paperwork.
The debate on May 22 will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
Jim Jerow, chairman of the Georgetown County Republican Party, said 1950 was the last year that South Carolina had seven seats in Congress. Now, with population shifts around the country the 2010 U.S. Census count resulted in the state regaining a representative.
“We need the voters to do a better job of educating themselves about their vote,” Jerow said. The debate is one way to help them learn about the candidates.
“We’re excited we will have the opportunity to showcase the [Waccamaw] auditorium for the public,” Dozier said.
The district will arrange to offer the program through the public access channel on cable TV in Georgetown County and throughout the Congressional district.
By Tommy Howard
thoward@gtowntimes.com