September 1 -- Vote!

If special elections have a low turnout, it just makes sense that this is the time we can be heard.

September 1 -- next Tuesday -- is primary day for the special election for SC State Senator for District 45.  This is the seat that was vacated with the murder of Senator Clementa Pinckney.  There are eleven Democratic candidates and two republican candidates.  We need to 1) learn about who is running, 2) spread the word and 3) get out and vote.

But even before we do that, we need to find out if we live in Senate #45 and if we are registered to vote.  Not as hard as you might think.  Go to scvotes.org, plug in your name, county and date of birth, and voila! you will get all the info you need.  This site will tell you not only whether you are registered, but what legislative districts you are in, and your polling location.

That out of the way, good luck learning about all eleven Democratic candidates.  To that end, a couple of weeks ago I did some research and wrote a blog.  Not to blow my own horn, let me just say that this is the most minimal information you would want to use to make a decision.  But it is a start.

Go to Facebook and look up candidates, do a google search.  When you get a campaign call from an actual human, ask about the issues most important to you.  I have had a couple of callers talk to me about my most important issue, women's reproductive rights, and actually had a caller hang up on me when I asked my question.  This is THE time to let a candidate know what they need to do to represent you by telling THEM what they can do for you instead of listening to them roll out their talking points.

By the way, women's reproductive rights is my litmus test.  If in South Carolina a candidate can say outright that they support a woman's right to contraception and ABORTION (yes, say the word), I expect they will pretty much support voting rights, LGBT rights and workers rights.

After you have done a little research, I'm going to ask you all to spread the word.  Make people aware that this important election is going on.  Email, Facebook, text, telephone and bring it up when you see your friends, neighbors, co-workers.  It's our chance to talk about the issues.

This is why this election is so important:

In the upcoming legislative year, there will be bills promoting the freedom to carry guns everywhere.  On the program are bills allowing guns in colleges and universities, as well as public schools.  There are bills that would welcome those who carry guns in other states to come on in and bring your ammo.  There is an actual bill that would require schools to have a "2nd Amendment Week" celebrating our right to wave our guns around and ending in an essay competition on how carrying guns has guaranteed us our rights.

There will be about a zillion bills prohibiting women from exercising their right to contraceptive care and to decide to have an abortion, free of government interference.  The first effort will be to pass the ridiculous twenty week abortion ban.  That's the one that claims that at twenty weeks a fetus can feel pain, despite all medical and scientific evidence.  When that one gets through (and we do have some strong women's rights legislators that are fighting it, but only a few, and they need all the help and support they can get), it opens the door to bills that would ban abortions earlier, all the way to conception.  I guarantee there will be bills to defund Planned Parenthood, denying those of low income the gynecological care that they would otherwise be unable to afford.

On the other side are bills that would ensure voting rights, equality in employment and marriage rights, raise the gasoline tax to pay for improved roads and bridges, and improve our schools throughout the state.  We need voices to get expanded federal Medicaid dollars, and we need to make sure that no one in need is denied food and housing.

I will be writing again about a few of the candidates before I vote, but please mark your calendars, and spread the word about this critical special election primary.  With so few voting and so many candidates, we need to make the right choice.

I will end with the words that strike fear into the hearts of South Carolina Democrats:

Remember Alvin Greene

  

What Special Election???

I finally got a call on Thursday asking for my vote on September 1.  It's tough to think about this election because it is a reminder of the murder of state senator Clementa Pinckney.  But we owe it to Senator Pinckney, and ourselves, to get out and vote, and to vote for the best candidate.

The primary for State Senate District 45 is September 1, little more than three weeks away.  It appears that there are eleven democratic candidates running in the primary, according to Ballotpedia:

Chauncey Barnwell, whose Facebook page says that he is dedicated to "helping citizens create prosperity for themselves and their families."

William Bowman Jr. talks about "inclusion, ethical actions and transparency."  He spoke at Stop the Violence Day in Jasper County.

Sheree Darien says she is inspired to continue Senator Pinckney's work and would like to bring more funding to rural South Carolina.

Kent Fletcher ran for Senate seat 46 in 2008, and talked about fighting rampant development, and developing energy independence through renewable resources.  He was against the Wall Street bailout and would support more funding for education.  He was a Marine in Iraq.

Libbie Henry Green appears to have run for House 122 in 2008.  I was unable to find out anything about platform, positions or background.

Kenneth Hodges is SC House representative for District 121.  That means we have a voting record we can look at.  It indicates that Hodges has voted for improved sex education and against the hare-brained anti-abortion bills that have plagued our state legislature.  He has gotten high ratings by conservation groups and low ratings by Tea Party groups.

R. Keith Horton is a Ridgeland real estate broker.  I'll bet a better blogger than me could find more on him, but this is all I got.

Margie Bright Matthews is a Walterboro attorney who appears to have some support in the Democratic party.  I have inquired via her website as to her positions, and particularly on women's reproductive rights.  I'll let you know what I hear.

Richmond Truesdale, Jr. has little out there in the ether, other than he ran for this seat and lost resoundingly in 2008.

John Edward Washington is running in order to continue Senator Pinckney's legacy.  However, other than stating he will do what his constituents want, he does not specifically address any issues.  Senator Pinckney had a voting record and clear opinions on legislative issues.  I would hope that Washington would be more cognizant of those issues and Pinckney's positions.

Korey Williams.  I am so glad this is the last candidate, and I hope that it is not due to sheer exhaustion that I can't find anything on him.  Other than he is a defense, personal injury and family law attorney.  In my defense, that's all the P & C had on him as well.

I would welcome any additions and/or corrections to the above.  We need to have some discussion and debate about this election.

For me, issues of women's reproductive rights is key.  When I got the call from someone endorsing Kent Fletcher, I asked for his position on that issue.  When the woman I was talking to admitted she didn't know, I told her that I would base my vote on this issue.  I urged her to pass this message on to Mr. Fletcher.  Of course, those volunteers making calls rarely have the ear of the candidate, but if ever this were so, it would be now.

I also believe that anyone in South Carolina who will stand up for women's right to freedom and privacy in reproductive health care -- and yes, I did say "abortion rights" -- will stand up for pretty much all other democratic issues.  There is a reason why abortion has become a litmus test for candidates all the way up to the Supreme Court.

It is a shame that Charleston County Democratic Women is on summer hiatus.  But let's give this truly special election, and the candidates running for Senate seat 45 the attention it deserves.