Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the South Carolina Republican Party headquarters, State Representative Andy Patrick  formally filed paperwork to run for the Republican nomination in the special election in South Carolina’s 1st congressional district to fill the seat formerly held by now-Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).

[caption id="attachment_9625" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/News-Andy-Patrick-and-Shannon-Erickson.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-9625" title="News-Andy Patrick and Shannon Erickson" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/News-Andy-Patrick-and-Shannon-Erickson-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a> Representative Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, and Rep. Andy Patrick, R-Hilton Head Island, are seen at Blackstone’s in Beaufort on Monday, Jan. 21, to announce Andy Patrick’s run for the Republican nomination in the special election in South Carolina’s 1st congressional district for the seat formerly held by Tim Scott.[/caption]

Andy Patrick said: “My family and I have been incredibly humbled over the past several weeks with the tremendous encouragement and counsel we have received as we’ve weighed whether to make a run for Congress in the upcoming special election to fill now-Senator Tim Scott’s seat. My wife, children, and I have thought and prayed about this decision, we’ve discussed the great issues facing our nation and our family, and we’ve made a decision — I am running for Congress!”

Patrick continued: “I am a firm believer that Lowcountry values are needed in Washington — to help balance our budget, reduce the size and intrusion of government, and ensure our nation has the strongest and most advanced military in the history of the world.”

Patrick is currently serving his second term in the South Carolina State House of Representatives, representing Hilton Head Island. Prior to his election to the South Carolina State House, Patrick founded a small business, Advance Point Global, INC, providing strategic consulting and comprehensive assistance for protecting critical infrastructure. He worked as a United States Secret Service agent and an active duty member of the United States Air Force. Patrick, his wife, and their five children reside on Hilton Head Island.