By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com

COUNTY — A handful of local seats will be decided Tuesday when voters go to the polls for the general election.

Three seats on the Pickens County School Board are up for grabs, with one race set to feature four challengers.

In District 4, Brian Swords is running unopposed in his bid for reelection to a full term after winning a special election to fill the unexpired term of Ben Trotter earlier this year.

In District 6, incumbent Jim Shelton will face the challenge of Henry Wilson.

The District 2 race could be the mostly hotly contested, however, as Phillip Bowers, Kevin McKenzie, Tony Qualkinbush and Jennifer B. Wood will square off in a battle to determine the successor to Jimmy Gillespie, who decided not to run for another term.

Two candidates are running unopposed for seats on Pickens County Council on Tuesday as well.

In District 1, Ensley Feemster is running without opposition in a quest to replace Dr. Jeff Martin, while incumbent Trey Whitehurst is also running unopposed to keep his District 2 seat.

Three seats on Clemson city council will be up for grabs among candidates Ray Brown, Jerry Chapman, Tim Fowler, June Hay, Martin Tiller and Jeremy Wright. Clemson residents will also vote on whether to allow Sunday alcohol sales in the city.

The only other contested local race will be for the State House District 3 seat of B.R. Skelton, who decided not to seek reelection. Libertarian Travis McCurry and Republican Gary E. Clary will face off to determine Skelton’s replacement.

Contested statewide races Tuesday include the governor’s office, as well as lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller general, superintendent of education and commissioner of agriculture.

Republican governor Nikki Haley will be trying to keep her office in the face of a challenge from Democrat Vincent Sheheen. Libertarian Steve French, petition candidate Tom Ervin and United Citizens candidate Morgan Reeves will also be on the ballot.

Democrat Bakari Sellers will try to defeat Republican former state attorney general Henry McMaster in the lieutenant governor race.

Republican Mark Hammond will battle Democrat Ginny Deerin for S.C. Secretary of State, while Democrat Parnell Diggs will attempt to unseat Republican Alan Wilson for the attorney general seat.

The comptroller general race will feature a battle between Democrat Kyle Herbert and Republican incumbent Richard Eckstrom, and incumbent agriculture commissioner Hugh Weathers will face opposition from United Citizens candidate David Edmund and American party candidate Emile DeFelice.

The S.C. Superintendent of Education seat of Mick Zais, who is not seeking reelection, will be contested between American party candidate Ed Murray, Republican Molly Spearman and Democrat Tom Thompson.

Federal offices on Tuesday’s ballot include the Senate seat of Lindsey Graham, who will face petition candidate Thomas Ravenel, Democrat Brad Hutto and Libertarian Victor Kocher.

Incumbent Tim Scott will also face opposition, as he attempts to earn a full term with opposition from Democrat Joyce Dickerson and American party candidate Joe Bossi.

S.C. District 3 congressman Jeff Duncan will also face a challenge from Democrat Barbara Joe Mullis.

State constitutional amendments on the ballot include one that asks voters to clarify the difference between a raffle for a charitable organization and a lottery and another that would make the adjutant general office a governor-appointed seat.