Two additional candidates are now running for S.C. House of Representative seat District 106. District 106 is the seat currently held by Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce favored candidate Russell Fry. Fry is choosing to run for U.S. Congress.
Republican Val Guest and Democrat Ryan Thompson decide to run.
Val Guest – From his website: Thomas Duval Guest, Jr. (“Val”) has called the Grand Strand home for much of his life, living in the Surfside area for over 30 years. Val attended the Citadel in Charleston, SC, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Val received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1989. Val formerly served as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice John Waller, after which he worked for the Horry County Solicitor’s office as a prosecutor. Val has been in private practice for a number of years and is currently a partner in the law firm of Ouverson, Guest, & Carter in Murrells Inlet.
Guest will face off against Howard Benard and Brian Sweeney in the June 14, 2022 Republican primary.
From his press release: Democrat Ryan Thompson
Horry County local, Ryan Thompson proudly announces his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 106.
Thompson believes it is important to offer voters a choice and to ensure that there is rigorous discussion about key issues. He plans to focus on local issues that affect residents of Horry County rather than national issues. His main focus area is education, specifically teacher retention and increased resources for schools.
Thompson says the greatest goal with his campaign is “To make South Carolina a place teachers want to be again. We currently have the largest shortage of teachers in history and they are leaving the profession in droves. As a product of public education, I can say without a doubt that teachers serve the most important role in our state by developing our children. It’s time we invest in them!”
Thompson’s platform also includes a focus on local infrastructure and protecting our environment. He has lived through the unprecedented growth in the area and wants to ensure that our roads are ready to serve current residents and our new neighbors. He also understands the importance of our beaches and coastline to the local economy and will work to conserve these resources for the future through beach renourishment and investments in local protected lands for wildlife.
Ryan Thompson was born and raised in Horry County and is a proud product of South Carolina public schooling. He will graduate from the College of Charleston in May with a degree in Political Science. He has served the Horry County community by raising awareness of social justice issues and has organized marches in the area. He hopes to enter a career of public service to give back to the great state, people, and community who have invested so much inhim. He believes no one is too young to make their voice heard or to be a positive force in their communities, and hopes his candidacy will push more youth to get involved with politics.