COUNTY — The Pickens County Republican Party officially voted last week to endorse Ed Harris in the S.C. House District 3 race in November’s election.

Harris, who won the Republican primary in June before legal challenges from incumbent B.R. Skelton had him kicked off the ballot by state GOP leaders, will face Skelton in November’s race. Skelton is the official Republican candidate for the seat.

Skelton sued both Harris and Pickens County Republican Party chairman Phillip Bowers, claiming that Harris’ paperwork was filed improperly and he was therefore ineligible for the June primary.
Harris was able to get more than 1,700 signatures to get back on the November ballot as a petition candidate.

According to a release from PCRP executive committee member Weldon Clark, the motion to endorse Harris over Skelton passed with a 29-1 vote at the party’s Sept. 18 meeting.

“The Pickens County Republican Party believes that, since Mr. Harris was legitimately selected as the GOP nominee, he should receive the full support of the party,” the release read.
Skelton released a statement in response to the party’s endorsement of Harris.

“Frankly, I am not surprised in the slightest by the local Party Boss’s continued collusion with my opponent,” Skelton said. “This kind of corruption and back-room dealing is exactly what I have spent my time in office fighting against. I would expect nothing less than this from a Party Boss and a disgraced candidate who were not able to prove statements they made in sworn affidavits.
“There’s an old saying about ‘birds of a feather,’ and Mr. Bowers and Mr. Harris are a perfect match.”