Our endorsements

The season of election fever has long been cracking, and the redistricting noise created a rush to early voting, possibly upsetting the usual low primary turnout figures. Then, the South Carolina Senate essentially ended the drama but not the debate, which shall rage on with the accusations splitting our eardrums. As the Turks like to say, dogs bark but the caravan moves forward; hence, it is time to step up behind the plate and try to call balls and strikes. 

Governor

On the GOP side, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette is our choice and was long before the president gave her the nod. Attorney General Alan Wilson is a very pleasant guy, but we think he has been in the meat grinder a little too long and has not spoken up about conservation, always a key issue with our paper. Pam Evette is a sportswoman from a family of hunters and has an appreciation for the outdoors. We also think it is worth noting that she is the only candidate running who has marched in a Carolina Day parade and did so gracefully just last year. If you feel it necessary to vote for a Democrat, Billy Webster is your guy and a rare cat in a party dominated by radicals. Keep an eye on Billy, who could make the general election quite interesting.

Attorney General

In the race for the Republican nomination for our state’s top attorney, we are voting for David Pascoe. When we are willing to look past labels and Red Team/Blue Team name-calling, what we see from the former Democrat is a proven tough-on-crime prosecutor who supports tougher immigration enforcement and pro-life positions, and who was willing to cross the partisan divide personally to endorse several Republican candidates in the past. Let’s be willing to look past labels and some misplaced preconceptions and vote Pascoe.

Commissioner of Agriculture

In the race for commissioner of agriculture, we give the nod to Fred West, native South Carolinian and longtime agribusiness executive. West looks to lead with a policy he calls “America First Agriculture,” promoting domestic products and South Carolina producers.

State Treasurer

The year 2026 isn’t just a big anniversary for our nation but also for our state Democratic Party: It’s now been two decades since Jim Rex became the last registered Dem elected to win a statewide office (by less than 500 votes!). Democrats have been looking to buck the trend ever since, and they might have their best chance in this year’s treasurer’s race. If you’re voting in the Democratic primary, we strongly endorse Vincent Coe for that position. A lawyer, banker and farmer, Coe is all about the intelligent handling of South Carolinians hard-earned money; he has pledged his bipartisanship and opposition to cheap party politics at every turn. Contrast that with his opponent, former S.C. Dem state chair Trav Robertson; recall his comment:  “I think it was … pretty smart of Joe Biden to pick Kamala Harris.” Robertson is a career political operator whose embrace of national party level radicalism helped keep Palmetto State Dems wandering in the wilderness for years. Incumbent Curtis Loftis has no GOP challenger. He has obviously been tainted by the state accounting mishap, and we hope he can do a better job of explaining his role therein. Let’s see where we are in October.

United States Senate

The U.S. Senate race was more interesting until Paul Dans dropped out, but as you cast aside those who have no chance, we now have the self-styled “redemption candidate” against the best-known name in state politics since Strom Thurmond. We will not doubt that Mark Lynch has turned his life around from his past transgressions, but we don’t think he has much in the way of experience for a prime-time job in Washington. Vote for Senator Lindsey Graham.

U.S. Congressional District One

Nancy Mace has left this office to run for governor, and a wide group of candidates are in the mix; some are excellent candidates ready to serve but others need to wait and get more experience. We think S.C. House Rep. Mark Smith is the best of the bunch to go to Washington. It matters that his fellow House member Thomas Hartnett has endorsed him. Tom does not like skunks and would never align himself with an odious candidate. 

We like that Rep. Smith has an appreciation for conservation, an admirable record as a small businessman, his unassailable pro-life stance and his dedication to serving his fellow South Carolinians in the General Assembly. With the incumbent leaving and the First District nationally noted as a “battleground primary,” we trust Smith to be a worthy adversary to whomever finds themselves at the top of the Democratic heap.

Charleston County Council, District 2

In the Republican primary for District 2, the inimitable Larry Kobrovsky is running unopposed. If he’s on your ballot, take a second, stretch out your voting finger, and smash that green button aside his name in a sign of support; Mr. Kobrovsky is exactly the sort of gentleman to move our area forward in a sensible direction.

Charleston County Council, District 9

In the Republican primary for District 9, we have a difficult decision and two great candidates:  Caroline Parker and Adam Friend. We have nothing against Mrs. Parker and wish her nothing but the best and appreciate her stands when she served on Charleston City Council. Nonetheless, the most important local issue is conservation of green space, and the conservation community believes deeply in Adam Friend as a tireless advocate for this cause. The balance on Charleston County Council could go either direction, but we are certain that Mr. Friend will elevate the conservation discussions and be a needed wing man for Councilman Kobrovsky.