Easley — Allan Quinn announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination to be S.C. Senator for District 2 (Pickens County) at the IPRA World Championship Rodeo held at T. Ed Garrison Arena in Clemson recently.

The position is currently held by Sen. Larry Martin, who has represented Pickens County for the last 37 years in Columbia as state represenative and as state senator (24 years).

Quinn

“I have the experience, knowledge and education to represent District 2 as state senator and will have as my first priority Pickens County.,” Quinn said. “The career politicians in Columbia have lost sight of what really matters to the people that elect them to office.

“We live in an area of the country that is seeing tremendous job growth in counties close to us, but nothing ever comes to Pickens County. My first goal will to bring in well paying jobs to the Pickens County Commerce Park that the county spent millions of dollars to develop in 2003, but very few good jobs to show for it. I will do every thing I can to bring in good paying jobs so our children and grandchildren will not have to move away to find work after they finish their education.

“My second goal will be to team with a group of senators in Columbia that want true SCDOT Reform. It has even been called for by the governor, but the good old boy network in the state senate refuses to enact meaningful road reforms that we direly need for the whole state. My idea is no more money until reform is done. That’s the only way it will get done.

“My experience includes being a Pickens County native, graduating from Easley High School in 1968, being drafted in the U.S. Army in 1968 and ending up spending 10 years in the Nuclear Weapons Logistics Division. I saw service in nine countries during my service having to deal with many different governments. I went to work for Duke Energy at Oconee Nuclear Station in management and procedure control, where I retired after 30 years in 2009. I attended night classes at Greenville Tech and graduated in 1988 with a degree in business, with a major in management. I worked with the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association for 17 years as parent, president, executive board member and then as their national director for seven years (1999-2006). I am currently owner/operator of Easy Bend Farm in Easley. We hosted a S.C. high school rodeo at our farm for 13 years in conjunction with the Easley High School Navy JROTC unit as a fundraiser for them.

“My family includes my daughter, Heather, and son, Zach, four grandchildren, Hope, Bryce, Lil Claire and Ashley. My wife, Susan, passed away in 2010.

“We must have reform at the state level with the SCDOT and SCIB to repair our roads. Currently the commissioners and other officials are appointed by state legislatures instead of being voted for. That is why we see no road work going on, because they all owe each other favors and special interest payoffs. We don’t need gas tax money we need to spend what we have in a responsible way. We need to replace as many career politicians this year in Columbia as we can so things will start working for the taxpayers again,” Quinn said.

To find the campaign on Facebook, search “Win with Quinn.”