Two Horry County residents have been chosen by the South Carolina Democratic Party for the 2016-17 James E. Clyburn Political Fellowship. Tess Emiroglu of Myrtle Beach and Scott Firsing of Conway are among 46 young professionals who will spend the next year exploring concepts and challenges of party leadership, learning proven campaign strategies and best practices, and developing skills critical to…

Longtime Horry County Democratic Party activist Rupert Hickman of Loris passed away in the early morning hours of October 4 after a brief illness. Hickman was married to Doris J. Potter-Hickman, a former chair of the county party. "Rupert served the party faithfully in many different capacities until his death," said Bennie Swans, HCDP Chair. "We…

The first presidential debate of 2016 is in the books, and Hillary Clinton was widely declared the hands-down winner. Fortune Magazine summed it up: “Hillary Clinton won. In the first and potentially most consequential presidential debate of 2016, the Democratic nominee presented as composed and commanding, ticking through her policy prescriptions while landing a series of…

By Rick Patelunas. Mal Hyman, our Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District, is a strong proponent of raising the minimum wage. Here's what voters in Horry County need to know. South Carolina does not have its own minimum wage law, so it defaults to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Roughly 65,000 workers in…

CONWAY, Sept. 16 – Horry County Democratic Party chair Bennie Swans this afternoon denounced GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's concession that -- after five years of spreading hate, bigotry and "raving birtherism" -- President Obama was born in the United States after all. "I want to join with fellow Democrats, independents, moderates, and generally sane people everywhere…

by Rick Patelunas. Mal Hyman is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. 7th Congressional District. Mal wants to protect, strengthen and expand Social Security, a vital safety net for millions of Americans. His opponent, Republican Tom Rice, says that entitlements like Social Security need reform, but Rice’s idea of reform is to shrink the program. These are…

In 2012, Horry Democrats planned our first dinner fundraiser to salute local candidates, community leaders, activists and volunteers.  With the Democratic National Convention taking place in Charlotte, NC (practically our backyard!), there was a good chance to bring a nationally-recognized speaker to Horry County. Under the leadership of then-HCDP Chair Doris Potter-Hickman and State Executive Committeeman Cedric…