By Mike McCombs
The Island News
No one filed to run at the last minute Monday, March 30, leaving the three already-filed candidates in the race to replace soon-retiring Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner as the complete field.
Longtime Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy Doug Seifert, Tanner’s choice for the job, and Tanner’s two-time opponent and longtime law enforcement officer JoJo Woodward will face off in the Republican primary on June 9.
Tanner told The Island Packet that Seifert was “the perfect choice” and said he would be “extremely proud” for Seifert to replace him when he retired.
Democrat Alphonso Small Jr., a member of the Beaufort County Board of Education, is his party’s nominee. The general election is Nov. 3.
In other local races:
— In the race for Auditor, Republican incumbent David Cadd will face Democrat Carletha Frazier in the general election on Nov. 3
— In the race for Treasurer, Republican incumbent Maria Walls will face Democrat Scott Songer in the general election.
— Republican incumbent Heather Galvin is running unopposed for Probate Judge.
— Republican incumbent David Bartholomew is running unopposed the Beaufort County Council District 2 seat.
— Republican’s Michael Anderson and Thomas A. Grygowski will face off in the June 9 primary to take the County Council District 4 seat of the retiring Alice Howard, the County Council Chair.
— For the County Council District 5 seat, Republicans Joshua Hower, Joe Maiorano, and Mary Jeans Otto will face off in the June 9 primary. The winner will take on Democrat Lynn Gerson in the Nov. 3 general election.
— Republican incumbent Tab Tabernick, the County Council Vice Chair, will face Democrat Carolyn Fournier in the race for the County Council District 6 seat.
— Republican incumbent Paula Brown will face Kraig Gordon in the June 9 primary, and the winner will take on Democrat Bill Beltz for the County Council District 8 seat in the general election.
— Republican incumbent Mark Lawson will face Beth Gillespie in the June 9 primary, and the winner will take on Democrat Jannine Mutterer for the County Council District 9 seat in the general election.
— Republican John Casey will face Democrat Travis Ludwig-Hodges in the general election for the County Council District 10 seat.
— Republican incumbent Tommy Reitz will face Elizabeth Libby Galloway-Dextraze in the June 9 primary for the County Council District 11 seat.
— Democratic incumbent Micahel Rivers will face Shannon N. DeLoach in the June 9 primary, and the winner will take on Republican Shelley Gay Yuhas for the State House District 121 seat.
— Republican incumbent Shannon Erickson will face Democrat Shauna Bishop in the Nov. 3 general election for the State House District 124 seat.
Beaufort County Board of Education and City of Beaufort municipal elections are nonpartisan and have a later filing deadline.
For candidates in other statewide elections, visit https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/Candidate/SelectElection.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com
