By Tony Kukulich
David Cadd, the former Beaufort County deputy auditor, won the race for auditor in a landslide victory over opponent Willie Turral in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
With no Democratic party candidate, Cadd’s primary victory means that he will, in all likelihood, run unopposed in the November general election.
The unofficial results provided by the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County show that 20,801 votes were cast in the auditor’s race. Cadd received 13,966 (67%), while Turral picked up 6,835 (33%).
“I would like to thank God, my family, friends, and supporters in this election,” wrote Cadd in a social media post Wednesday morning. “I especially would like to thank my fabulous team that worked tirelessly. I believe Beaufort County voted for experience and strong leadership to prevent any outside manipulation of the auditor’s office. I look forward to serving all the citizens of Beaufort County.”
Both Cadd and Turral were running for office for the first time. Cadd is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Turral is an educator and community activist.
“We ran a very clean campaign,” Turral said in a video that was posted on his Facebook page Wednesday morning. “We ran as hard as we could. We did not get the results that we wanted, but we’ve got to trust God and trust the process. We are alive and well and in a position to continually move Beaufort. Now those who are in office, our job is to hold them accountable.”
The incumbent, Jim Beckert, was elected in 2014 and 2018. He opted not to run for reelection. His tenure in the office has been marked by controversy and turmoil. Beckert has been sued by Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls and former Beaufort County Financial Officer Alicia Holland on charges related to harassment. He has also been sued twice by the county in an effort to compel him to perform the duties of the position.
Cadd, who worked for five years under Beckert, said he was fired after he filed a whistleblower complaint stating that Beckert created a hostile work environment and undermined Cadd’s ability to do his job as deputy auditor.
Cadd did not seek endorsement of his candidacy or accept campaign donations, stating, “I am here for all the people of Beaufort County and not just a selected few.”
Early in the campaign, Turral received support from the Beaufort County Republican Party and endorsements from Sheriff P.J. Tanner and S.C. Sen. Tom Davis among others. However, a video surfaced of Turral reportedly recorded in 2020 in which he made comments critical of police and disparaged former President Trump. Much of Turral’s support vanished in the wake of that video.
Beaufort County will certify the unofficial results from the June 14, 2022 statewide primaries on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The canvass hearing will be held at 10 a.m. in the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County’s main office, 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort, S.C. 29902.
Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com.
