COLUMBIA, S.C. — The final four candidates for the District 19 Senate seat spoke to the public about their plans for the district on Thursday.
It was a packed room inside the Word of God Church auditorium on Thursday as the four final candidates vying for the District 19 seat spoke to the public. The four candidates were given questions from the audience, and moderator, spanning topics from gun control to gender identification/bathroom use.
In attendance was former Columbia City Council Member and recent Democrat primary winner Tameika Isaac Devine. With decades of public service history, she is hoping voters will elect her on January 2nd.
"I have that experience and I've already talked with a lot of the senators so my day one will be really just implementing some of the stuff I've already been talking about and working on as a candidate and as a citizen," she adds, "One of the very first bills that's coming in front of the senate is constitutional carry, which will allow anybody without training and without a permit to buy a gun. That will make our community less safe."
Also at the event was independent candidate Michael Addison. As a former chiropractor doctor and current community advocate, he sees economic development as a key catalyst in boosting District Nineteen.
"So we gotta get funding, we gotta get some money sources for our small businesses, who will then provide jobs and support to non profit organizations and other things that we need in the district. So my real push is on small businesses, if we can get $100 million in grants and loans to small businesses in the district, it'll change it overnight," he says.
Former pastor and entrepreneur Chris Nelums was a part of the panel, running as a representative from the United Citizenship Party.
"One of the major goals is judiciary reform. I'm high on that, our judges have gotten out of control, and I think that we need to take a strong look at how we can get that pack in line...Taking hemp across this state and making it a cash crop. We're doing some things in the low country as we speak, and we're galvanizing farmers," he says.
Kizzie Smalls, a local mother and education advocate sees education as the area needing a boost from the state government.
"We need to have more programs where we can give our children a better start. When children come into school at pre-k, already reading and writing, a teacher already knows that child is going to progress and do well. So there's a program I would like to introduce called the ABC scholars. That program pretty much helps that child to be able to get an early start in their reading," she says.
The election is scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, January 2nd.