Incumbent Smith faces Dillard in state House District 23

BY DAN HOOVER • STAFF WRITER • MAY 19, 2008
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Six-term Democratic state Rep. Fletcher Smith is facing a rare and spirited renomination challenge from Greenville City Council member Chandra Dillard in House District 23.

Smith is a Greenville attorney who hasn't had primary or general election opposition since 2000 when he defeated Republican Lawrence Acker by a more than two-to-one margin in the solidly Democratic district.

The winner of the June 10 Smith-Dillard primary will face Republican Justin Alexander in the Nov. 4 general election.

Smith says he's offering voters his experience and record in promoting initiatives in education, economic development and affordable health care. He is vice chairman of Greenville County's legislative delegation, the General Assembly's biggest, and is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, the body that vets prospective judges.

In the current session, Smith has raised questions about racial profiling amid a number of incidents involving the state Highway Patrol and has pushed a bill that would allow military service personnel ages 18-20 to buy alcoholic beverages. The bill remains in committee.

Dillard says Smith isn't tending to legislative business.

"The incumbent is not doing his job; he's not voting," Dillard said, citing research she said showed that Smith missed 30 of 54 recorded votes during the current session.
"I'm convinced we need someone down there who is present and accounted for," Dillard said. "We want partnering on the local level and the ability to get things done in Columbia."

Dillard has been endorsed by Conservation Voters of South Carolina. The group has endorsed 30 candidates, four of them challengers.

In announcing the endorsement, CVSC Executive Director Ann Timberlake said, "The choice was clear given Chandra Dillard's commitment to our natural resources while serving on Greenville City Council and Fletcher Smith's consistent non-voting record which has earned him a zero on our annual environmental scorecard.

Dillard said that as a legislator she would follow through with her council efforts to provide safe and decent affordable housing for the elderly and first-time homeowners, economic development and education innovation.

If elected, Dillard said she would "represent the district in its totality, promoting affordable and workforce housing, pushing ahead with neighborhood revitalization, economic development and innovation in education, including expanding and improving on the magnet school concept.

"Absurd," Smith said in reference to Dillard's claim on Smith's voting record.
He said Dillard's contention ignores the House's numerous voice votes and his role on the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. "When I'm sitting there, I can't take a vote," Smith said, noting his role in the selection of a number of Upstate jurists, including Appeals Court Judges John Kitteridge and Aphrodite Konduras and Supreme Court justice Donald Beatty, only the second black justice since Reconstruction.

As a practicing attorney, Smith said he has on occasion missed votes because he had to be in court.

Smith said he didn't mind not getting the conservationists' endorsement.
"I told them a long time ago that I'm not for radical environmentalism, that when they come in and try to devalue the property of black and poor white landowners in rural areas by keeping them from selling their property at fair market values, I'm against that. As a result, I supported a strong property rights bill and I'm a member of a group of environmentalists that believe in not only protecting the environment but protecting our small businesses from the radical environmentalists," Smith said.
Smith, a 10-year legislative veteran, said "even if (Dillard) shows up in Columbia every day as a freshman, she'll have no influence whatsoever. At least Greenville has its strongest team with me and the rest of the delegation.

It's shaping up as a low-budget campaign, especially for one involving a veteran incumbent.

State Ethics Commission reports show Smith has raised $2,500 and had $2,300 in available cash as of April 10. Dillard listed donations of $850 and no expenditures.
Smith's donors were, J.M. Looper of Greenville, retired, $1,000; Jim Ward of Greer and DTR Company, LLC, of Columbia, $500 each; Cassion Construction Co. of Travelers Rest and Randall Harrison of Greer, $200 each; and Sandra Dempsey of Greer, $100.

Donating to Dillard were, Fulton & Barr Law Firm of Greenville, $500; Randolph McKetty & Associates of Greer, $250; Cathryn Stevens of Greenville, $80; and Dillard, $20.
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Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.