CANDIDATES EMERGE FOR (POTENTIALLY) VACANT S.C. HOUSE SEAT …
With S.C. Rep. Ralph Norman announcing his intention to resign from the State House of Representatives to run for Congress – (assuming the seat he wants opens up) it didn’t take long for candidates to start stepping forward in a hypothetical race to replace him.
Norman has represented uber-wealthy, staunchly Republican S.C. House District 48 (map) twice – serving one term from 2005-2006 and then representing the district again beginning in November 2009.
For the past six years, he was former S.C. governor Nikki Haley‘s most loyal foot soldier in the S.C. General Assembly – voting with her even when every other member of the legislature was against her (like, literally).
Anyway, according to our sources two prospective candidates are already eyeing Norman’s seat – longtime York County, S.C. sheriff Bruce Bryant and Michael Johnson – who is currently serving as the vice-chairman of York County council.
Johnson lives in Tega Cay, the affluent suburb of Charlotte, N.C. that’s located on a peninsula of Lake Wylie. Median family income in this region is upwards of $90,000 – more than twice the statewide average.
It’s not clear whether Democrats will mount a candidate for the seat. Given the low black voting age population (BVAP) of the district, any Democratic candidate would face an uphill climb.
However Democrats have been very active and energized in York County of late, so you never know.
Who is the favorite to win the seat? Bryant – assuming all the dominos fall (i.e. Mulvaney is confirmed, resigns and Norman resigns to seek his seat).
“It would be Bryant’s race to lose,” one source familiar with the district told us.
Stay tuned … we’ll keep an eye on this field when (and if) this seat officially becomes vacant.
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