House District 115 race covers Folly Beach, James Island

Voters on James Island and Folly Beach will decide one of the Statehouse races that was subject to this year’s ballot controversy.

First-term incumbent Republican Peter McCoy faces petition candidate Carol Tempel who was removed from the ballot after initially filing as a Democrat.

She was among more than 200 candidates from both major parties knocked off the ballot in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling on campaign filing paperwork. Tempel made it back onto the Nov. 6 ballot by getting more than the necessary 1,488 petition signatures.

As a candidate, Tempel is stressing the connection between education and jobs. She supports statewide early childhood education for 3- and 4-year-olds, such as pre-school. Also, she advocates more apprenticeship and tech school-type opportunities.

While she recognizes additional costs for such expanses, “my motto is ‘education equals jobs,’ and that is resonating very, very well,” she said.

Tempel said she does not advocate the current plan for extending the final link of Interstate 526 across Johns and James islands, saying the matter needs more study and community input.

McCoy points to the high review marks he’s received from some of the state’s pro-business groups as proof he is making his way past being a freshman legislator.

One bill he plans to file again, if re-elected, is to have a tax-free holiday on the weekend before the official start of hurricane season, as a way of encouraging people to be prepared.

McCoy remains a supporter of charter school education, like the James Island Charter High School. He also backs completion of 526, saying it would go a long way toward easing the overcrowded traffic situation on Folly Road and surrounding routes.

While the House District 115 seat is primarily anchored on James Island and Folly Beach, the boundaries are believed to have become more Republican in their voter population as a result of the recent Statehouse redistricting. Kiawah and Seabrook islands were added to its makeup, while some of the more Democratic leaning neighborhoods on James Island were moved out.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.