Summerville/Dorchester Chamber of Commerce hosts candidate forum

DORCHESTER, S.C. (WCBD) – Candidates vying to represent Dorchester County came together Tuesday night to make their pitches to voters as election season is underway.

Over a dozen candidates running for either Dorchester County Council or the State House took questions from and spoke with voters for nearly two and a half hours.

They clarified their stances on topics like a proposed roads tax, their priorities in office, and how to control growth.

Voters said that the forum was a great way to learn more about the names that will appear on their ballots this year.

“I loved the forum,” said Thomas Watson, one of the few undecided voters we spoke to. “You get a chance to really get to know and hear what your respective candidates have to really say.”

For Watson, the topic of growth controlling growth is top of mind.

“We love the Lowcountry. So does everybody else, unfortunately, and I think we need to do a better job of controlling that growth,” he explained.

Another main topic of the night was legalizing (and to what extent) marijuana. Most candidates seemed to agree on legalizing it in some form, but varied on how far they would go.

Leadership from both parties felt the event was successful in educating voters about the upcoming elections.