Expand the Republican Senate Majority
ACTION ALERT – SUPPORT DEE COMPTON AND EXPAND OUR REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY
There’s no doubt that Dee Compton is our best chance to pick up a Democratic seat this year and expand our majority. We don’t mind stating publicly that we intend to win this seat in November. Senate District 10 has been trending Republican for years, but has been held by one of South Carolina’s most respected Senators, John Drummond. Voting trends and polls show that Senator John Drummond is the only Democrat who could win in Senate District 10.
Dee Compton’s record as a Greenwood County Councilman shows that he is the kind of conservative Republicans across the state will rally around this cycle. In a year dominated by a change theme, reform-minded candidate Dee Compton is exactly the type of person we need carrying the Republican banner in Abbeville, Laurens, and Greenwood Counties. His call for lower taxes, a more efficient government, and conservative family values have already and will continue to connect with District 10 voters. His fresh ideas and willingness to knock on every single door across this large district will lead him to victory in November. He has proven that he will do the hard work it takes to win and that hard work is already catching the eyes of donors and grassroots activists. The Democratic candidate will not outwork Dee Compton.
Dee Compton had tough and expensive primary and run-off campaigns. The South Carolina Democratic Party and the Senate Democratic Caucus are already attacking him. He needs your help now to fight off these attacks. We need you to visit his campaign website today at www.comptonforsenate.com and make an online donation. We will pick up this seat and expand our Republican majority, but we need your help today.
Here’s what South Carolina blogger Earl Capps says about Dee Compton:
Dee Compton for Senate District Ten: The right choice in a tough race
Ask most people where the real election action is around the state. While you’ll get different answers, most will tell you one of three locations: along the coast, Midlands, or the Upstate. While few people will say the region in and around Greenwood is a key electoral battleground, strategists from both sides of the party line will tell you it will be a key focal point for their efforts this fall.
When Senator John Drummond, whose service in the Senate stretched across much of the 20th Century, decided to retire from the chamber, both sides have worked to recruit strong candidates. The Democrats recruited Floyd Nicholson, the current Mayor of Greenwood, to defend their hold on the seat, while the GOP hopes to gain the seat with Greenwood County Council Vice Chair Dee Compton, who emerged from a five-candidate pack to win the GOP nomination by a crushing margin in the June run-off.
In 2000, Drummond’s GOP challenger, Hunter Eddy, surprised political observers when his underfunded candidacy racked up 41 percent of the vote in what had been considered a strong district for the Democrats. Since then, a lot has changed in and around District Ten, and in the favor of the GOP: the GOP has moved into the political lead in Greenwood County, taking a majority on County Council and it’s State House delegation, as well as winning several courthouse offices, and has begun running and winning races in Abbeville and Laurens Counties, which comprise about a quarter of the Senate district.
Building on a broad base of support, which includes many of the district’s State Representatives, as well as county officials, Compton has built a strong team and a formidable campaign both during and after the GOP primary race. Combined with the growing lean towards the GOP in much of the district, there is much to suggest this could be the State Senate seat most likely to shift to the GOP column this fall.
With a record of fiscal conservatism backed by no less than S.C. Association of Taxpayers President Don Weaver, Compton has consistently voted against raising County residential property taxes. Not only that, he worked to find ways to consolidate departments, implementing hiring freezes, and privatize those county services which could be done more for less by the private sector. In a rural area in which attracting new industry and jobs is a challenge and money can be tight in many households, this kind of fiscal responsibility is exactly what the District needs.
John Drummond’s leadership set a very high standard for District Ten residents, and they should expect their next Senator to have the potential to continue Drummond’s legacy. Compton brings a record of leadership in both Greenwood City and County, and his hard-working candidacy enjoys the support and respect of regional and statewide leaders. While the Democratic candidate has been a good citizen with a commendable record of service to the people of Greenwood, Compton’s record and broad base of support from both citizens and community and political leaders makes the difference in this race.
In November, we’re asking the residents of District Ten to trust Compton to be their next outstanding Senator. We believe he is best-qualified to get results for them in Columbia.