A new council member will represent Calhoun County Council’s District 3 in the future.

Two Republican candidates are running for the seat held by Republican John Nelson.

Nelson is not seeking re-election after promising 12 years ago he would only serve three terms.

Rebecca A. Bonnette and Patrick W. Mack will face each other in the June 14 Republican primary.

No Democrat filed for the seat.

A Columbia native who was raised in the Caw Caw community of Calhoun County, Bonnette says she will serve with transparency.

“For the past four years, I have been closely involved in advocating for efficient government and transparency,” Bonnette said. “If elected, I would continue to advocate for transparency in government and keep constituents informed of things that would affect their finances and lifestyle in this rural community.”

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Bonnette says she will also seek to preserve the rural nature of the Sandy Run community.

“As development organically occurs in the Sandy Run community, I will work hard to minimize the effects of overdevelopment to preserve the essence of rural America,” she said.

Her priorities include keeping taxes low, defending personal property rights and responsible government. She pledges to serve with honesty, integrity and transparency.

“I believe that it is time for Republicans in leadership to make the individual, not the government, their top priority,” Bonnette said.

Bonnette graduated from Orangeburg Preparatory Schools and is an alumna of South Carolina State University, receiving a master’s degree in speech language pathology in 2007.

Bonnette has worked in the Orangeburg and Calhoun county public schools as a speech pathologist and is currently self-employed in a private practice as a speech pathologist serving children in Calhoun, Orangeburg, Lexington and Bamberg counties.

Bonnette volunteers her spare time to clean litter in Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

She is also active in the Calhoun County Republican Party.

Bonnette is married to Keith Bonnette and they have four children attending public schools.

In her free time, she enjoys boating and fishing with her family.

Mack says he will work to ensure emergency responders have the equipment they need to do their jobs. He also plans to help deal with issues associated with the area’s growth.

“Sandy Run is growing rapidly and we need someone with experience in site development and the impacts it will bring to the district,” Mack said.

He also plans to “tackle the water pressure issue in our system.”

“My hope is to bring needed growth to our community,” Mack continued. “We have needed a grocery store for a long time, and I believe the Sandy Run and surrounding areas can support one.”

Mack said he would also like to address traffic concerns in the Sandy Run community.

“The traffic on S.C. Highway 176 is terrible during traffic accidents on I-26,” Mack said. “Most interstate traffic is re-routed through Sandy Run.”

“One road in particular, Valley Ridge Road, suffers the worst,” Mack said. “Traffic will get so heavy that residents are unable to pull out of the driveways.”

“I would also like to see a caution light installed at the intersection of S.C. Hwy 176 and Old Sandy Run Road,” Mack said. “Many accidents have occurred there over the years.”

Born in Baptist Hospital in Columbia, Mack is a lifelong resident of Sandy Run.

He graduated from Swansea High School in 1993. He received his associates degree in civil engineering from Midlands Technical College in 2000.

Mack has been employed with the LAD Corporation for 25 years, then, along with partners, formed utility and site contracting company LAD Construction LLC in 2017. The company specializes in water, sewer, grading, storm drainage, paving and curb and gutter work.

He has volunteered to help with the Labor Day Festival at Beulah United Methodist Church in Sandy Run for numerous years. He has also assisted in the repair of the county’s rural water system.

Mack is married to Ginny and they have three teenagers. In his free time, Mack enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with family.

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