By Laura Haight

Rep. William Timmons, R-SC-4, appears likely to be running unopposed in this election, following an Election Commission ruling earlier this month. 

In Mid-August, the Democratic candidate, Ken Hill, announced his plans to withdraw, citing the relocation of his job as a nuclear inspector to full time in New York City. 

Under election law, a candidate can withdraw for “legitimate, nonpolitical” reasons. On August 12, the state Election Commission ruled 3-2 that Hill’s explanation did not meet that standard. That ruling means Democrats are not permitted to reopen the candidate filing process, leaving the party without the means to field another candidate unless the state or county Democratic party challenges the ruling in court.

In another election decision, a state circuit court ruled on August 18 that the Labor Party could not have its candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and House Dist. 1 on the ballot in November. The issue was simple timing. Election law establishes the deadlines for state conventions, which was May 15. The Labor Party argued that its convention – held on July 30 – was a reconvening of its last convention in 2020. The judge stated that the convention deadlines were established per election cycle. “Indeed, if a political party could simply deem any convention to be ‘reconvened’ from a prior one, it would render the deadline imposed by (state law) meaningless.”