2 vying to unseat Scott in 1st District

Republican Congressman Tim Scott is seeking a second term but first must get past challengers from the left and the right, from Democrat Bobbie Rose and Libertarian Keith Blandford.

Scott said he is most proud of seeing the House pass a bill that would inhibit the National Labor Relations Board’s ability to shift jobs from one state to another, a bill that ultimately did not become law but helped shape the larger debate about how the board was dealing with Boeing and its new North Charleston plant.

Scott said his biggest frustration was answering his supporters who wanted to see more change in Washington, even though Democrats still held the Senate and White House. He said job creation is his top issue.

Rose, who has been a small business owner and a teacher, hasn’t run for political office before. She faulted Scott for not doing enough to help Folly Beach with its renourishment and for supporting Congressman and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s budget, which she said would cut funding for veterans.

Scott said no congressman can get an earmark for a project such as beach renourishment, and that veterans funding has increased under the House budget. Rose also has criticized Scott for signing the no-tax-increase pledge from the Americans For Tax Reform.

She said she feels women are not being represented in the district, and that she would be more supportive of organized labor.

Blandford, a construction executive, ran as a Libertarian two years ago and got only about 1 percent of the vote.

He said he is running again to maintain the “Ron Paul discussion.” He also is running against what he calls the two parties of big government. The Navy veteran said he is equally at home at tea party rallies and occupy movement rallies.