Carter Named As Defendant in Ballot Suit

S.C. District 97 GOP nominee Ed Carter has won a motion to intervene as a defendant in the lawsuit brought against his party by the Dorchester County Democratic Party.

The hearing is Aug. 6 at the St. George court house. The judge signed the order Monday. 

The motion by his attorney Will Waring states the candidate "has an interest in the subject matter." The motion continues to state that brought Carter's interest into the suit.

Carter is the last winning non-incumbent to join the suit — S.C. Senate District 38 GOP nominee . Bennett's primary opponent incumbent Sen. Mike Rose has also been named a defendant in the suit. GOP county party chair and Dorchester County Council candidate Carroll Duncan was already listed as a defendant.

Carter was the first of the GOP candidates to be fingered in the county as Democrats questioned his filing procedure in the wake of the June 12 primary. If Carter remains on the ballot, he will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Patsy Knight in November. District 97 had new lines drawn and there are GOP hopes it could swing red. 

Carter said he filed properly, simultaneously handing in his Statement of Economic Interest with his Statement of Intention of Candidacy. 

On June 14, the Dorchester County Democratic Party asked the Republican Party to release Carter's filings to prove he filed in accordance with S.C. election law. Because county parties throughout the state did not follow proper filing procedure for non-incumbents, hundreds of candidates were purged prior to the June primary. Most of Dorchester County's Republican candidates remained on the ballot.

On June 29, the county Democratic Party filed suit against the county and state Republican Party et al.