Voting for state representatives? Here’s a look at the candidates

Two Beaufort County districts have contested races for the S.C. House of Representatives as voters prepare to head to the polls Nov. 6.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

District 123

Rep. Jeff Bradley (R) — Incumbent Bradley, 61, said the key issues are improvement in the state’s education system, tax policy reform and bridge replacement throughout the state.

Bradley, a married father of three, serves on the Regulations and Administrative Procedures Committee as he completes his second term in office. The committee is responsible for approving state code regulations. He said he is also a supporter of fellow Republican Rep. Shannon Erikson’s work on the state Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children.

“We are at a seminal moment in the history of our country,” Bradley said. “Do we turn toward socialism, or do we vote to defend and protect our civil liberty?”

Mario Martinez (D) — Challenger Martinez, 43, will focus on education reform for children, improving teacher salaries, affordable health care, health industry job creation and the protection of the coastal environment if elected.

Martinez, a business owner in Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island who is the married father of two children, cited the importance of contested races in the election.

“The future of our state is at stake,” Martinez said. “What future are we going to build together? To be honest, I think Democrats having candidates running will put pressure on Republicans, because in two years (in the 2020 presidential election), we will challenge them. It’s time to put the people to work.”

Martinez was subject to a lawsuit involving the Mexican-American Coalition in 2013 when he was ordered to pay $34,000 to the organization after it accused him of using its funds for personal use. Martinez has not yet paid that amount.

District 120

Rep. Weston Newton (R) — Incumbent Newton, 51, enters the election in his sixth year as a representative for the district. He plans to focus on school safety, improving teacher retention rates and stemming the opioid epidemic.

Newton, a married father of three, is chairman of the House Legislative Oversight Committee which holds state agencies accountable, he said. He added he also has focused on government transparency.

“I think what’s at stake is the strength of our delegation,” Newton said of the election. “I appreciate the voters’ support and the honor and privilege that I’ve been given to serve.

Ryan Martz (D) — Challenger Martz, 35, describes himself as “fiscally conservative and socially liberal” and said his focus if elected will be on criminal justice reform and education reform to increase teacher salaries and the number of vocational schools that train students for skilled labor.

The business owner, husband and father of one said he believes it is time for a change at the statehouse.

“There’s so much chaos out there right now with all the corruption in the statehouse and an unwillingness to move forward on some issues,” Martz said. “There’s an old guard there and it’s time to evolve. If we don’t move forward, we get left behind.”

Unopposed races

• Rep. William “Bill” Herbkersman (R), running for the District 118 seat.
• Rep. Shannon Erickson (R), running for the District 124 seat.
• Rep. Samuel Rivers Jr. (R), running for the District 15 seat.
• Rep. Robert Williams (D), running for the District 62 seat.

This story was originally published October 29, 2018 at 8:00 AM.