S.C. House 8 Don Chapman
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
1. What are the three most pressing needs of your district and how can you help address those needs?
1 - Roads and Bridges Repair – There is a tremendous amount of road and bridge repair needed in District 8 primarily due to the district that covers the majority around Lake Hartwell. Fortunately, work in District 8 is currently underway including the repaving of Hwy.187 North & South, Whitehall Road, Jackson Circle and many more are scheduled to be repaved soon including Interstate 85 which is scheduled to be repaved from the Georgia line to Exit 19… all in District 8. I asked to serve and was appointed to the ACTC (Anderson County Transportation Committee).
2 - Illegal Immigration – This is a problem that keeps getting worse by the day and is a grave concern to our constituents. SC has sent our SC Guard to assist with the border crisis and the Legislature has strengthened the laws against trafficking Fentanyl. The illegal immigration problem in our country is not just in Texas as it is affecting South Carolina. Illegal immigrants are being shipped all over the country and we have to continue to support legislation to keep our state borders secure
3 – Cracking down on local crime. Supporting our County Sheriff’s Dept., City Police Dept., and all other public safety divisions including Fire & EMS, which includes supporting the State Budget process. For me, this has and will always be a top priority, as I believe that Public Safety should be of the greatest importance to all we in government.
2. How would you work with the Anderson County Legislative Delegation to work on these issues?
Our current delegation works very well together aside from the 2 members that belong to the Freedom Caucus. The rest of us meet and find solutions to issues our communities face and are working together to bring money back to the community and our respective districts. In addition, we also sponsor, co-sponsor and support conservative common-sense legislation ensuring it becomes law and supporting the budget so such items listed in question 1 can be funded.
3. What are the state’s three most pressing needs moving into 2025?
1. Restructuring DHEC as the legislature voted last year UNANIMOUSLY that our system was broken and must be fixed. It was decided we would break apart the massive department into two separate departments Heath as one and Environmental as another. Making it more streamlined and more transparent to have a Health Secretary who would answer directly to the Governor and could be removed at will, unlike our current board of 7 who answers to no one.
2. Energy capacity and production is and should be a major concern. Brownouts and blackouts are a real threat to citizens of South Carolina. Additional energy plant production takes years to plan and build and we will fall further behind if we don’t prepare for the growth that keeps occurring as people and businesses flock to our great state.
3. The citizens of SC need to make sure to get out and vote on June 11 to make sure the right people are working for the state, in all districts. As I previously mentioned, road and bridge repairs are scheduled but there is much more to be done. These road and bridge problems will take years to correct as they had decades of neglect. Money is actually not the problem as the money is available and we have a legislature willing to spend it on roads and bridges… manpower is our greatest need as well as more companies to bid and do the work that is ahead of us. I’m committed to continuing to fix our roads in such a way we can all be proud.
4. What is your approach to working with other house members to achieve the greater good?
I will first say, we have a lot of good people in the state house right now who really have the best intentions for their respective districts. Fortunately, the Republicans have a supermajority in the house and because of this we have been able to get a lot done in the two years I’ve been there. With this election, it is my desire to return to keep fighting for the conservative values of my hometown. In saying that, don’t mistake that the 2 parties do not always vote opposite from one another. I have had slanderous accusations published about me by my opponent and groups supporting her saying I vote with Democrats. Well, the fact is that sometimes we vote unanimously on truly bi-partisan legislation with all Republicans, all Democrats and all Freedom Caucus members.
My approach in all facets of life is to listen first to gather information and then form an opinion or view on the topic at hand. This doesn’t mean I am compromising my conservative principles, it just lets me better understand people’s views. A lot of the folks I work with in Columbia approach legislation the same way and we are able to work together to find common sense solutions.
5. What are three personal or professional qualities that make you the best candidate for this office?
1. The first quality I believe that should be top priority with any candidate is integrity. In my view, one cannot be taught integrity… you either have it or you don’t. And if you have integrity, you are most likely honest and trustworthy. People who tear other people down to try and make themselves look better generally lack moral character of their own.
2. I am a business owner. I started my business 30 years ago and survived recessions as well as a pandemic. We have survived economic declines and came out better for it. We learned to be more efficient and cost conscious than ever before. I have always been conservative but hardships can really make you realize you can do even better.
3. I have been involved with some type of community service since the age of 14 when I became a member of the Anderson Rescue Squad and have always found ways to give back to my hometown over the last 40 years because I love Anderson.
6. INCUMBENTS ONLY: Name the three most significant accomplishments of your time in office?
1 – I was proud to Co-sponsor and support the Abortion Ban eliminating South Carolina as a abortion destination State.
2 – Co-sponsored and supported many “Tough on Crime and Criminals” legislation including Bond Reform, Trafficking Fentanyl and Crimes Against Children especially Cyber Crimes and was proud to allow citizens to protect themselves by Co-sponsoring. Constitutional Carry
3 - In my first term I have been able to get approval for bringing over $1 million back to District 8 for our public safety personnel supporting our Anderson County Volunteer Fire Departments in District 8 along with the Anderson City Fire Department and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.
Challenger Sherry Hodges did not respond to multiple requests for answers.