The Republican Primary That Never Was

Post date: Jun 08, 2012 1:24:6 AM

Next Tuesday will be the Democratic Primary here in Oconee County. However, the Republican Primary has been cancelled based on the recent ruling by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Some people are reacting to this news with little sympathy for those candidates whose names were just erased from ballots. I can't agree.

Part of my motivation for running was to provide more choice in local elections, and this outcome means that citizens will have fewer choices. Sure, candidates can still file as independents, but that is a much more difficult process than filing to run as a Republican. I am sure that many of the candidate will not be able to accomplish that.

I might feel differently if I believed that there was fraud involved with their names getting on the ballot in the first place. As a regular citizen who went through the process myself, I know how easy it would have been to miss the step that eliminated these candidates from the ballot.

In the end we will all have fewer choices. And that is never something to celebrate.