By Stan Welch
The Anderson County Republican Women’s Club sponsored an informal meet and greet for a wide array of political hopefuls from the local, state and national levels Monday night. Not all candidates attended; some sent representatives to distribute literature. As the primaries approach, The Journal will run interviews with, or present approved information from, candidates in each issue.
State Senator Lee Bright, a Spartanburg native, was one of those unable to attend. His Greenville County campaign coordinator Elizabeth Scott was on hand, however. She extolled the conservative credentials of Bright, which are well established. His stand on the Second Amendment , and his sponsorship of several pieces of related legislation, have earned him high ratings from the NRA and other gun rights supporters.
He is a staunch supporter of the right to life, and again, has put his money where his mouth is, politically speaking, sponsoring more pro-life legislation than any other legislator in the country, according to Scott.
Fiscally, he favors immediate and serious cuts to government spending, as a start on reducing the size and scope of the government. His literature promises that he will support rebuilding the U.S. military and improving veteran’s benefits. He opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and would enforce current laws.
Scott acknowledged that incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham has a large lead in fundraising, though she says that gap is closing. “Senator Graham has already spent a great deal of money, and he’ll have to spend more for the runoff. We are seeing more and more money coming into our campaign.”
She also acknowledged that the crowded field of seven candidates in the primary will almost certainly result in a runoff, a result she says will favor Bright. “All we need is for all the candidates besides Senator Graham to get fifty one per cent of the votes. If that happens, he and the second place finisher will runoff. And that will be us.”
