Many years ago, even before the county party became as acostic as it currently is, a very successful businessman and board member of one of our state universities resigned his precinct position. He said he supported the leadership as we were returning the party to its mission, but said, “life is too short to waste time with these negative people.” We couldn’t argue with his wisdom.
The once flagship of county parties has now become a well-known dumpster fire. Party officers have caused division and viciously attack anyone who questions their actions. A picture from their February meeting shows scores less in attendance than the last February meeting I chaired, dozens less in precincts represented, almost no elected officials, and many long-time conservatives were nowhere to be found.
Over the last few years, the current officers have violated more rules than can be remembered. They held an officer election knowing they didn’t have the required quorum. They allowed someone to run and be elected who didn’t meet the requirements clearly listed in the rules. They lied about an officer’s eligibility. They wrongly removed precinct leaders in retribution. Each of these violations had to be dealt with by the state Executive Committee and were overturned. One of their current officers sat in a SCGOP EC meeting where a topic was discussed, motion was made, a vote was taken, and he walked out and said none of that ever happened—when a room filled with people and the audio recording of the meeting proved he was lying.
Candidates and elected officials who were at first slightly fearful of the rhetoric and attacks from the county party officers have learned how irrelevant they are and have made the county party. Now, having their support is what is feared, knowing their support becomes a “candidate’s kiss of death.” Winning one of their straw polls inevitably means losing the election.
Conservative groups like the Federation of Republican Women, Greenville Patriot Caucus, Palmetto Freedom Fund, Young Greenville, and the Fourth District Republican Club have been working together and continuing what is supposed to be done by the county party and have become very successful. As conservative Republicans discussed the 2025 Greenville ReOrg, a theme emerged—why waste time on an irrelevant group when we have successful, relevant groups? With unanswered questions about county party finances, and a large portion of their expenses going to pay for a dilapidated building tied to one of the county party officers (which I hear doesn’t even have heat), paying money to attend a convention or membership just for it to be used to attack conservative candidates like our SC Freedom Caucus members isn’t productive.
So, for the first time in many years, I’ve decided to join hundreds of other conservatives and not attend the ReOrg of a corrupt county party.
