Meet the Republicans hoping to represent parts of Bluffton and Daufuskie Island
Editor's Note: In the June 9 primary, two Republican candidates will face off for the District 9 seat on the Beaufort County Council: Beth Gillespie and Mark Lawson.
Lawson, the incumbent, has served on the council since 2023, and previously held office from 2019-2022. He lives in Bluffton. Gillespie is a brokerage underwriter and Bluffton resident who’s been coming to the Lowcountry since 1996 and finally moved to her “happy place” in 2022. District 9 includes areas south of U.S. 278 near Bluffton and west of Hilton Head Island, plus Daufuskie Island.
Here’s what the candidates had to say about infrastructure, development and other issues facing county residents.
Growth and development
Gillespie said the county has seen a lot of growth without the infrastructure to support it, which is “definitely an issue that needs to be addressed.”
“If we can’t support what we already have, then no one [will] be able to enjoy living or visiting here,” she said. “Bluffton and Beaufort County are special places defined by natural beauty and community charm. Protecting that character is essential; every decision should reflect the values of the people who call this area home to ensure paradise is preserved for future generations.”
Lawson said that the growth in nearby Hardeeville and broader Jasper County is “going to be our biggest challenge.” It’s been a long time since council has approved a development agreement or upzoning in unincorporated areas of the county, he said. Members of past county, city and town councils “probably wish they could undo some of the development agreements that were signed 10 or 20 years ago,” he said.
“Those are still binding legal documents we’re dealing with today. We can’t go back and change those decisions, but we can limit the damage going forward,” he said.
He said he supports the transportation tax on the ballot this fall. It’s one of the biggest ways the county can improve its infrastructure, he said.
“I’ll keep it simple. If you’re happy with the roads and think everything’s fine, vote no. If you think we need to fix things and plan ahead, vote yes,” Lawson said.
Pine Island, development and cultural preservation
The county has been going back and forth for years with the developer of a proposed golf course on St. Helena Island in a project called Pine Island. The site sits on historic Gullah-Geechee land protected by a Cultural Protection Overlay.
Most recently, the project’s developer sued the county, saying the CPO is “unconstitutional on its face” because it favors one race “at the inherent expense of others.” It asks for an order ending enforcement of the CPO.
Gillespie said Pine Island is a very contentious issue, and she doesn’t feel like she has enough information to comment on it intelligently.
Lawson said the CPO came out of a community process years ago from the residents of St. Helena.
“The developer does have the right under current zoning to build 149 homes — I have no issue with that,” he said. “But a golf course isn’t permitted under the CPO, and I’m not going to support changing that. I believe in property rights, but I also believe in honoring what a community has put in place to protect itself. That overlay isn’t going anywhere as far as I’m concerned.”
In areas where there isn’t a CPO, some Gullah-Geechee residents have expressed frustration that the land they live on seems to be the first to go when there’s a new proposed development or road extension.
When asked how Beaufort County can continue to grow, development and infrastructure-wise, while also accounting for the needs of Gullah-Geechee people whose families have been here for generations, Gillespie said, “I think we need to see if that is the case and if so, why.”
“The historical aspect of this area does need to be preserved as much as we can preserve, but I do not feel informed enough to elaborate beyond that,” she said.
The frustration some residents feel is understandable, and it’s legitimate, Lawson said.
“It is not only the Gullah-Geechee owned land but all families that have been in Beaufort County for generations,” he said. “People have a right to hang onto their land, sell their land or improve it. Through the Beaufort County Land Trust and Greenspace Program we have been able to pay property owners for their development rights so they can continue to hold onto their family land.”
Getting those landowners in the room at the beginning of the process and not the end, he said, “is the most prolific thing we can do.”
Public safety
When it comes to public safety, Gillespie said the biggest issues the county is facing are traffic violations such as speeding, running red lights, crime, as well as golf cart safety in some areas. These issues can be addressed by having more of a police presence and enforcing the laws we already have for those violations.
“Building a strong relationship with the sheriff’s office is essential,” she said.
Lawson did not mention any specific public safety issues when asked, although he did note that “people don’t always realize County Council doesn’t run the sheriff’s office,” as the sheriff is an elected position.
However, it is council’s job to fund the sheriff’s office, which Lawson said he is fully committed to.
“Sheriff Tanner has done a great job for us over the years. Your upcoming vote for a new Beaufort County sheriff is very important,” he said.
‘Dark money’
In the days leading up to the June 9 primary, some Beaufort County residents have been receiving strange political attack ads in the mail. Accusations are flying about who’s behind the ads, and why; the only clue is that mailers say “Paid for Alliance for Lowcountry Balance,” a Super PAC.
Gillespie is supported in the ads and Lawson is attacked. Gillespie said she knows nothing about the PAC that has been running ads using her name, and that she has “not accepted, nor will I accept any money from them or any other special interest group that could give the appearance of influencing me in any way. If elected, I will vote the direction my constituents would like me to vote.”
Lawson said he’s actually “shocked and somewhat impressed” by the “dirty political ads” that have been run against him.
“The reason they need to stoop to such a low level is because there is nothing else negative they can say or push against me,” he said. I’ve been a part of this county for 36 years and I take that seriously. There’s still a lot of work to do — on transportation, on keeping our county from overdevelopment on protecting the May River and ecosystem, on making sure the county is run with some common sense, transparency and accountability.”
Why them?
Gillespie said she is the right person for the job because “I believe the people’s voice should be carried to the council.”
“I care about people and want to get to know what is important to those in my district,” she said. “I will listen and vote how they want me to vote and endeavor to resolve issues that matter most to them.”
Scheduling meetings periodically in various areas of the district and answering calls and emails will be important to building relationships and trust, she said.
Lawson said he should be re-elected because of his deep ties to the community and his honesty.
“I know the history of these issues, I know the people involved and I know what’s still unfinished. I’m not starting from scratch,” he said. “There are projects underway that need someone who knows the background and can carry them forward. That’s me.
“And at the end of the day, people in this district know I’ll tell them the truth even when it’s not what they want to hear,” he said.