By Mike McCombs
The Island News
BLUFFTON – Beaufort’s Jane Culley made the cross-county drive with her friend to see Presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., at the Corner Perk Brunch Café, where he spoke Friday, Oct. 6 to Beaufort County voters.
Culley, who lives in Spanish Point, grew up in Beaufort and lived “all over the place” before she and her husband retired from State Farm Insurance and retired to Beaufort in 2004.
Culley has known Scott for years, first meeting him at Republican functions years ago. Scott is definitely her guy in the 2024 Presidential Election.
“To me he cares about South Carolina. And if he cares about South Carolina, he’ll care about the whole country,” Culley said. “He’s a very smart man. And he takes care of everybody.”
When asked what her No. 1 priority in the race, she wasted no time answering, “the border.”
“The border is my No. 1 thing. We have to close the border,” Culley said. “It’s insane. The economy would be OK if the border was closed. That’s what I think.”
When asked if she might be a Donald Trump voter if he won the nomination, she didn’t consider it.
“Right now,” Culley said, “I’m a Tim Scott voter.”
Barbara Nielsen lives in Bluffton. She was the state’s Superintendent of Education from 1990 to 1998.
“I’ve known Tim for a long time. He is who he is. I have a lot of faith that he would carry through with what he talks about in his platform. He is a man of integrity, and I think that’s what our country needs right now,” Neilsen said. “One of the things that he does is he brings people together. I’ve seen him do it. Over and over and over. You have your different opinions, but he’s been able to reach consensus.”
If Scott doesn’t win the nomination, Nielsen wasn’t enthusiastic about supporting Trump.
“I think I’d be looking around,” she said. “I think we need someone, like I said, that’s dedicated to principles and bringing our country back together and is able to work with people, not disparage people.”
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
