14 file for primaries thus far

Posted
Candidates vying for state and county offices coming up in the June primaries began filing at noon March 16. Filing for these offices closes noon Wednesday, leaving less than two days for candidates to make their intentions known. Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Director Shirley Black-Oliver said as of Monday that 12 Clarendon residents had filed for elected office. One candidate has filed in Sumter for an office that encompasses Clarendon, Sumter, Darlington and Florence counties. Half of those who have filed thus far are incumbents, including Clarendon County Coroner Hayes F. Samuels, Clarendon County Clerk of Court Beulah Roberts, Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart, Clarendon County District 2 Councilman A.C. English, Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett, House District 64 Rep. Robert Ridgeway III and District 36 Sen. Kevin L. Johnson. Other candidates include Tim Baxley for Clarendon County sheriff; Margaret Sorrell and Peggy H. Knox for Clarendon County Probate judge; and Alexander “Herc” Conyers and William Mitchell Ellberby for House District 64. All 12 of those candidates have filed for the Democratic Primary, which will be held 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 14 in Clarendon County. One candidate thus far has filed for the Republican primary in Clarendon County: Joe Witt has filed to run for the GOP nomination for Clarendon County Council District 2, the seat currently held by English. The Rev. Leon Winn has also filed as a Republican in Sumter County for the Senate District 36 primary. Thus far, only one incumbent has declined to run for re-election. Probate Judge Kathy Geddings said last month that she will retire after her second term is complete in January 2017. Sorrell, one of the candidates running to replace Geddings, is a licensed attorney and currently serves as deputy probate judge.