GOP candidates try to stand apart from crowd

SUMMERVILLE -- Lowcountry residents packed into Kelly's BBQ restaurant Saturday morning to hear the eight Republican candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat try to distinguish themselves from one another.

The field of GOP candidates has been growing since Republican Rep. Henry Brown announced he would not seek re-election, and more than 100 voters showed up on the snowy morning to listen and ask questions.

Ron Turner, who chairs the Lowcountry GOP Breakfast Club that hosted the event, said folks are concerned about who they send to Washington because of what they've seen this past year and before then. He hoped they came away with a better idea of who would be willing to play hardball in the nation's capital and block liberal spending, he said.

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Candidates took turns introducing themselves and briefly outlining their platforms before spending the bulk of the time answering questions from the crowd. The questions ranged from their stance on quotas in hiring practices to how the nation should reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Most seemed to share similar views, such as opposition to hiring quotas, support of limiting the size of the federal government and support of the Fair Tax, a plan that would eliminate income tax and replace it with a national tax on consumption.

The biggest differences could be their backgrounds and experiences. The Republicans include: Isle of Palms City Councilman Ryan Buckhannon, Charleston businessman Carroll "Tumpy" Campbell III, GOP activist Katherine Jenerette of North Myrtle Beach, former Charleston County School Board member Larry Kobrovsky, businessman Mark Lutz, state Rep. Tim Scott, Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond and former Brown aide Stovall Witte.

As an island city council member, Buckhannon said he has to face area residents when he makes a decision. That's not happening for leaders in Washington, and that's what he wants to do, he said. He's married and has triplet sons, and they have motivated him to run for office, he said. He pledged to build up state's rights and fight illegal immigration.

Campbell, son of the late Gov. Carroll Campbell, has never run for political office and said he's running for his two daughters so they don't have to live in a socialist country. The mentality of Congressmen going to Washington to bring home the bacon needs to change because the country doesn't need bailouts, stimulus packages or picking money off trees that don't exist, he said.

Jenerette, a paratrooper and mother of four children who attend public schools, said she wants to get rid of the federal Department of Education and that states should take care of that responsibility. She doesn't think children who are born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants should automatically become citizens, and she said she would eliminate earmarks.

Kobrovsky said he always carries two documents: the constitution as a reminder of what the country needs to get back to and his grandfather's citizenship papers as a reminder of how lucky he is to be an American. He called energy independence a matter of national security. He supports term limits and said while he'd devote his life to this office, it wouldn't be a career for him.

Lutz said the country has been on a huge, destructive path and that it needs someone committed to making it better. He said he would freeze the federal budget at pre-stimulus levels and reduce it by 5 percent annually. He promised to host town hall meetings once a quarter in each of the district's three sections to understand his constituents' concerns, and he said the country needs to open up all of its energy resources.

Scott, who's held public office for 14 years, said those who think the federal government is the answer are sadly mistaken, and he's a strong supporter of state's rights. He said the country needs to stop increasing its debt cap, build its reserves and go back to zero-based budgeting, which means departments must earn the pennies they receive each year rather than automatically getting them plus 3 percent.

Thurmond, a husband and father, said he believes in the 10th Amendment and that he asks himself three questions before voting: Is it the right thing to do? Is it appropriate in regard to the Constitution? Can we afford it? He said he'd be supportive of eliminating federal agencies, cutting government workers' pay and getting rid of employees to ensure that today's children aren't saddled with "ridiculous" debt.

Witte highlighted his military experience as well as his time spent working as a staff member in Washington. He said he's running on three issues: national security, economic security by reducing debt and creating jobs and the Constitution, specifically that residents need to understand that it's a rule book, not a guidebook. He said energy independence may be the most important national security issue.

The primary is June 8, and if no one gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff would be held June 22.

The three Democrats are commercial pilot Robert Burton of Mount Pleasant, businessman Robert Dobbs of Georgetown and retired accountant Dick Withington of Horry County. Summerville businessman Jimmy Wood is the Independence Party candidate.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.