Lack of choice, inspires Dorchester County resident to run
By Monique Cunin
In a state where Senate districts are reapportioned to protect incumbents and create single-party districts, South Carolina residents are left with two choices - run for public office or accept a voting system that leaves them without options.
Bill Collins, a 66-year-old Dorchester County resident and retired publisher of the Summerville Journal Scene newspaper, was unhappy with the Republican primary in June.
There is no Democratic opposition, so the results of the primary decided who would represent District 38 in the state Senate.
Like Collins, others in the district, which progresses from rural to suburban as you drive down Interstate 26 from I-95 to Charleston, were dissatisfied that the primary results decided the election. Several approached Collins and after he discussed it with his family, Collins agreed to run for the seat.
Collins said he told his supporters: "Well community has been good to me, and I have the time. If y'all go do the work I'll do what I can to get on the ballot,"
It is rare for someone to get on the ballot without the help of a party, said Chris Whitmire, State Election Commission spokesman.
Collins and his supporters worked for a month to collect signatures from 5 percent of the district's registered voters so that he could appear on the ballot as an independent candidate. Of the 5,0000 signatures collected, the Election Commission verified over 4,000 and turned aside a Republican attempt to keep Collins off the ballot.
Collins is running against Republican Mike Rose, a lawyer, who is trying to regain the Senate seat he held from 1989 to 1997. Rose beat incumbent Sen. Randy Scott in the June GOP primary.
When Rose was contacted by phone, and asked what he thought about Collins' challenge, he said he did not have time to talk.
As an independent, Collins has many of the same challenges that nonincumbent candidates face in general elections, said Phil Bailey, political director for the S.C. Democratic Caucus.
He will have to get his name out in the community and convince voters who usually vote a straight Republican or Democratic ticket, Bailey said.
Collins said the biggest challenge he's had "is getting the word out about my candidacy."
Collins said he has met with people in small groups and gone door to door to help identify himself as a candidate. But, said University of South Carolina political science professor Blease Graham, "You can't win on shoe leather alone."
It often costs over $100,000 to run for public office, Graham said. Technology is a big part of what drives up campaign costs, but without technology it is impossible to win an election, he said.
Collins said he has spent over $70,000 on the election so far.
Sending mailings to the district's more than 34,000 households driven up the cost of running for office tremendously, he said. There were also TV and newspaper ads to buy, he said.
"It's expensive because media is expensive and it's very, very time consuming," Collins said.
It means working 12 to 15 hours a day, but his advice to those upset with the system: "Anybody who wants to run, go for it."
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