After 40 years in office, Jasper County coroner faces 2 challengers in 2020 election
For the first time in at least 40 years, three candidates are campaigning in the June 9 Democratic primary to be Jasper County’s coroner.
Martin Sauls III has served as coroner since 1980, but this is only the second time he’s faced opposition.
In 2016, Sauls’ former deputy coroner, Jeremiah E. Vaigneur II, sought to unseat his former boss. Sauls defeated Vaigneur, 63% to 36%, but Vaigneur is challenging again.
The third candidate is Willie Patrick Aiken III, who, like Vaigneur and Sauls, operates a funeral home.
The Jasper County coroner investigates all human deaths that occur within the boundaries of the county, except hospital deaths or those that happen under the supervision of a physician. The coroner, who certifies the cause of death for every patient, is a part-time job with a salary of $15,298.81.
No candidates have filed as a Republican for coroner, so whoever wins the primary will be unopposed in the Nov. 3 general election unless someone petitions to get their name on the ballot as an Independent.
Experience
All three candidates have experience owning funeral homes and contend that will help them if elected.
Sauls, 75, has been coroner for 40 years. Before taking office himself, he helped his father, L. Martin Sauls Jr., who was the county’s coroner for almost 30 years. The current coroner owns and operates Sauls Funeral Home, which has locations in Ridgeland and Bluffton.
Vaigneur, 48, served as deputy coroner from 2008 until 2015. Before that, he worked on and off at Sauls Funeral Home starting in 1989 when he was still in high school. In 2015, he opened Vaigneur Funeral Home in Ridgeland.
Aiken, 31, has never served as an elected official but opened Legacy Funeral Home four years ago in Estill. He says he started in “the business” 15 or 16 years ago when he was in the ninth grade and participated in a work program at Bostick Funeral Home in Ridgeland.
Proactive vs. reactive
All three candidates said opioid deaths are an issue in Jasper County.
They also said the leading causes of deaths are vehicle crashes or gun violence.
All agreed that although the coroner traditionally has a reactive role, more could be done to prevent premature deaths.
Sauls said he hopes to help combat the “drug problem we have in the county” and has joined the Jasper County Crimes Task Force, which has representatives from the local law enforcement and the coroner’s office.
The task force, created earlier this month,focuses on recent drug overdose death investigations, county-wide drug investigations and high visibility proactive policing.
“Drug deaths and instances of drugs overdoses happen every day,” Sauls said. “I’m very interested in the coroner’s office being involved in stopping the drug problem, and I feel like (the task force) has a pretty good chance of doing that.”
He said most violent deaths in the county are directly related to drugs. He said the majority of the automobile deaths involve some sort of impaired driving, so getting tackling the drug issue will “be-a-rising-tide-that-floats-all-boats situation.”
While Aiken did not specifically mention the task force, he did say he wanted to create more programs because it’s time to “bridge the gap between the coroner’s office and the community.”
“I want to be there for the community before a death occurs, during, and, of course, after,” he said. “That just shows me being dedicated with the programs that we want to start to help minimize the deaths.”
He said he would partner with other local agencies, such as the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office or Jasper County Council, to organize outreach and educational programs for youth such as a “big brother” mentorship.
Vaigneur said the coroner’s office is predominately a “reactive one,” but he’d be willing to hold seminars to educate the community on the dangers of drug use or impaired driving and “what goes on after the fact.”
“We only affect about 1% of the population annually,” he said, “so it’s not that there’s a great deal that could be done drastically different.”
Time for change?
Both Vaigneur and Aiken campaigned on their availability to the public and professionalism. Sauls emphasized his experience and accuracy.
Why else elect a new coroner?
“Change is often times good and brings fresh ideas,” Aiken said. “This is 2020. ... and it’s time for a new coroner to combat some of the new issues we’re facing.”
Sauls said if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
“I’ve had 40 years, and over those 40 years, I don’t remember any legitimate complaints,” he said. “If somebody’s doing a good job and you want to change it on the whim and say ‘it’s time for a change,’ I just don’t think that’s a very good reason.”
The June 9 primary
Only Democrats are on the ballot for the coroner and sheriff’s offices and the Pocotaligo Township seat on the Jasper County Council, meaning the primary winner will likely be unopposed in the November election.
Two Democratic candidates have filed for an at-large County Council seat. Whoever wins that primary will face the Republican candidate in the November election.
The current clerk of court and County Council member representing the Hardeeville Township seat are both unopposed in the primary and November election.
Although filing is closed for the elections, a candidate can still petition to be added to the November ballot as an Independent. To do that, a candidate will need signatures from 5% of the registered voters in Jasper County.
Who’s running?
▪ Coroner Martin Sauls III, a Democrat, faces two challengers, Willie Patrick Aiken III and Jeremiah E Vaigneur II.
▪ Sheriff Chris Malphrus faces challenger Donald Hipp in the Democratic primary.
▪ The clerk of court, Margaret Bostick, is unchallenged.
▪ County Council member Tom Johnson, a former chairman, is running for reelection to the at-large seat in the Democratic primary against challenger Samuel Gregory. The winner faces Republican John Kemp in November.
▪ County Council Chairman Henry Etheridge is running for reelection to the Pocotaligo Township seat in the Democratic primary. He is challenged by Alvin Abby Adkins. No Republican has filed to run in the Nov. 3 general election.
▪ County Council member Barbara B. Clark, a Democrat, is running for reelection to the Hardeeville Township seat. She is unopposed.
Primary preview in The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette:
Sunday: S.C. House District 118: Herbkersman vs. Covert
Monday: S.C. House District 123: Bradley vs. Hartman
Tuesday: Beaufort County coroner, Jasper County coroner
Wednesday: Jasper County sheriff
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
