Chip Limehouse scores easy victory; former Dorchester County administator Ed Carter wins nomination

Veteran Charleston Republican state Rep. Chip Limehouse cruised to an easy win, while Dorchester Republicans picked their former county administrator to go after a three-term Statehouse Democrat.

Ed Carter, the former appointed Dorchester County administrator, won the GOP nomination today for the right to take on incumbent Democrat Rep. Patsy Knight in House District 97.

According to unofficial final returns, Carter led fellow Republican Jordan Bryngelson 55 percent to 45 percent.

After the polls closed Carter thanked the voters and said he looked forward to doing his best to represent the district in the Statehouse after November.

Carter worked for six years for the county’s government, from 1994-2000, including as the airport manager and as the hired administrator. The district mainly includes areas of Summerville, Grover, Harleyville, Ridgeville and St. George.

Limehouse, whose District 110 seat covers parts of peninsular Charleston and Mount Pleasant, defeated recent College of Charleston graduate Peter vonLehe Ruegner.

With most all precincts reporting, Limehouse carried 79 percent of the vote to Ruegner’s 21 percent, according to unofficial returns.

“I’m going to use this strong endorsement to re-double my efforts in Columbia,” Limehouse said, adding his top three targets include tightening state laws for child sex offenders, finding new ways to pay for roads and bridges, and promoting conservation. No Democrat filed for the seat which Limehouse has held since 1995.