S.C. State Board Chairman Maurice Washington is seeking to move from the boardroom to the General Assembly in November.
Washington filed Sunday to run as a Democrat for S.C. House District Seat 111, which covers Charleston. He will take on Wendell G. Gillard and Clay N. Middleton, the Lowcountry coordinator for U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn, in the June 10 Democratic primary.
One member of that trio will take the place of eight-term state Rep. Floyd Breeland, D-Charleston, who is retiring at the end of the session. No Republican has filed for the seat.
What does this mean for Washington’s future on the S.C. State board?
If he wins the seat, he would have to resign from the S.C. State board. The state has a constitutional provision that prohibits public officials from holding two offices simultaneously.
Washington’s tenure as chairman of the S.C. State board will end in July with new officers being elected prior to that. His current term on the board is set to expire in 2010.
Washington is running as a Democrat despite having endorsed former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee last December.
Washington served on Republican Gov. Mark Sanford’s 2002 transition team in addition to being a member of his 2006 inaugural committee.
In 2004, Washington was endorsed by Sanford when he ran unsuccessfully as a petition candidate against state Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com and 803-534-1060. Comment on this and other stories at www.TheTandD.com.