The State: Election to fill Moore’s Senate seat close call

Filed Under News, Uncategorized

Election to fill Moore’s Senate seat close call

S.C. Rep. William Clyburn up against political newcomer Shane Massey
By RODDIE A. BURRIS
rburris@thestate.com

AIKEN — The choices appear clear and the contrasts distinct between the two candidates for the Aiken-area state Senate seat once held by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore.

Republican political newcomer Shane Massey of Edgefield says he wants to “shake things up and change the status quo in the state.”

He’s taking on state Rep. William Clyburn of Aiken, a veteran, well-known Democrat who said voters tell him they want “a good, honest, fair government that will give them hope again and can be trusted.”

One of the questions voters will answer Nov. 6 in the four counties that make up District 25 — Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda — is what matters most in S.C. politics: demographics or name recognition from decades in public life and elective office?

The district, based on demographics, could favor a Republican. But Clyburn is confident he can win. While roughly 65 percent white, the district consistently elected another Democrat, Moore.

Massey sees the race as competitive.

“I think it’s a winnable district,” said Massey, 32, who practices law in Aiken. “I don’t think I can just say, ‘I’m running as a Republican’ and sit back and people will elect me. It’s a competitive race in a competitive district.”

Democrat Moore of Clearwater held the Senate seat for roughly 25 years, before retiring in August to take a job for a pay-day lending trade group.

But the district’s makeup shifted while he was in office.

Roughly 50 percent of the district’s nearly 52,000 registered voters live in Aiken County, which generally trends Republican.

Realigned in 2001, District 25 includes all of Edgefield and McCormick counties, the southern third of Saluda County, and much of the western portion of Aiken County.

Clyburn, who is the cousin of U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of Columbia, said last week he thinks he can win.

“I was told about the racial breakdown, and it’s very important to me that we cross that barrier,” said Clyburn, who is chairman of the Aiken County Human Relations Commission. “You can’t just live behind that forever.

“I’ve got all the ingredients necessary to serve. I’ve come up through the ranks, and I intend to break that (barrier).”

The odds — and history — may be stacked against Clyburn. If he wins next month, Clyburn would be only the second of S.C.’s eight black state senators, all Democrats, to be elected in a majority white district.

(Darlington Sen. Gerald Malloy was elected in a 2002 special election to fill the unexpired term of Edward Saleeby of Darlington, who died in office.)

Clyburn, 66, a former high school teacher, coach and principal, is familiar with breaking barriers in Aiken, where he has lived for 44 years.

He became the first African-American elected to the Aiken City Council in modern times in 1973, before being elected to county council in 1981.

Massey, who is taking his campaign door-to-door to win the district, was for some a surprise winner in the Republican primary, defeating five opponents.

“People want to know their representatives are concerned about them,” Massey said. “I don’t know how you do that unless you talk to them.”

Massey’s message of change was seized upon by Republican Gov. Mark Sanford, who likened Massey’s campaign slogan of “shaking things up” to his thwarted efforts at state government reform.

Clyburn, who has advanced to the influential House Ways and Means Committee under Republican leadership, has a reputation for working across party lines. He said residents in very rural Saluda County are concerned about the same issues as people in Aiken and Edgefield — education, jobs, health care and dealing with the illegal immigration situation.

While his House District 82 seat won’t be up for re-election until next year, Clyburn said a loss in two weeks would be a “setback” he tries not to think about. “We’re encouraged.”

USC Aiken political science professor Robert Botsch, who tracks local politics, said the race will come down to one thing: voter turnout.

About 5,300 voters cast ballots in the Republican primary runoff between Massey and North Augusta businessman Bill Hixon.

Massey did a good job turning out his vote in the primary, Botsch said. But if Clyburn gets his voters “really excited about sending him to the Senate,” he could pose problems for Massey.

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398.

Posted October 22, 2007 

Comments

One Response to “The State: Election to fill Moore’s Senate seat close call”

  1. Daniel on October 27th, 2007 5:16 pm

    I couldn’t understand some parts of this article tate: Election to fill Moore’s Senate seat close call : Shake Up Columbia with Shane Massey, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.

Leave a Reply




website stats