Jenny Horne for S.C. House

FROM THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER

By Yvonne Wenger (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Monday, May 5, 2008

The GOP primary for Dorchester’s House District 94 pits familiar political opponents Jenny Horne and Rep. Heyward Hutson against one another for a rematch.

Hutson won the Summerville-area seat by a less than 300-vote margin in October in a special election, and the two competitors will square off again on June 10.

“My philosophy is, South Carolina can be the first in education, the first in per capita income,” said Horne, a 35-year-old lawyer. “We can be the first in job creation and job growth, we just have to work together to do it.”

Hutson, 72, retired Army officer, said he is the right choice.

“I invite everyone to look at my record and they will see that I have done everything possible to accomplish what I have set out to do,” he said.

Horne has raised $25,846.92 for the election, according to quarterly records. Hutson raised $2,501.93. He noted that he does not employ campaign consultants, on which Horne has spent at least $8,000.

Horne said improving the way public education is delivered is a priority. She wants education to be more relevant for students in a global economy. One way to do that is make education more technology-driven and offer more vocational opportunities, which also would help the drop-out rate, she said.

A stronger education system will achieve the goal of a thriving state economy, Horne said. She also said she also would like the Legislature to create incentives for regional planning efforts.

Hutson wants to focus attention on commuting, including a pilot program for a Park & Ride for Dorchester commuters and working on safety conditions with car-pooling lanes and a rail system to take container trucks off busy Charleston-area roads to a centralized terminal.

He wants impact fees to alleviate school construction costs and reduce state income taxes with flat-tax proposals.

A third area of attention is on energy-saving measures such as tax incentives and grants for industries, he said.

No Democrats filed for the seat.

Jenny Horne

Birth date: Oct. 12, 1972.

Family: Husband, Marc; two children.

Education: University of South Carolina Honors College, bachelor’s degree in English, graduated magna cum laude; USC School of Law; Mims Academy, valedictorian.

Occupation: Lawyer.

Previous elected office: None.

Why are you running for office?: I think South Carolinians are tired of politics as usual. We need new leaders with fresh ideas to lead the state through the problems we currently face.

What’s the toughest issue facing the district and state?: The economy, and that issue is directly tied to our education system.

Heyward Hutson

Incumbent

Birth date: Jan. 24, 1936.

Family: Wife, Evelyn; four children.

Education: United State Military Academy at West Point, bachelor’s degree in engineering; Syracuse University, master’s degree in political science; graduate of Armed Forces Staff College, U.S. Army War College and Summerville High School.

Occupation: Retired Army officer.

Previous elected office: State House 1993-1996; Dorchester County Council, 1988-1992.

Why are you running for office?: People have told me that they thought I was the right person for the job and I am committed to doing good things for the people of South Carolina.

What’s the toughest issue facing the district and state?: At the moment, the growth issue is locally the most challenging issue. For the state, and the country, I think, it’s the economy and the dependence on foreign oil; thus, I think we have to develop energy-saving measures and become more conservation-minded.

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.