GREER, S.C. — Justin Bradley, candidate for State Senate District 12, announced today that he will not participate in the Spartanburg County Republican Party's October 7 forum, citing the Party's failure to follow agreed rules and ensure a fair process for all Republican candidates.
"This race should be decided by the voters, not by Party insiders stacking the deck for their preferred candidate," Bradley said.
Bradley explained that despite the special election being announced in August, he was only approached last week by County Chairman Frank Tiller about joining a still-developing forum.
Concerned about fairness given the Spartanburg County Republican Party leadership's open support and promotion for one candidate in this race, Bradley agreed to participate only after being assured that WORD or another local media outlet would moderate.
However, the announced moderator-which was not provided in advance to the campaigns and was first revealed publicly on Facebook by the Party's 1st Vice Chair, a supporter of Justin's opponenthas a record of attacking elected Republicans and candidates who support mainstream GOP platform positions, co-hosting a podcast with a Bright supporter, and previously hosting Mr.
Bright to disparage conservative groups. During this race, the moderator's blog called Mr. Bright the front runner in the race before any candidates had even officially filed for the office, clearly showing her preference in the race.
"When I raised these concerns, Chairman Tiller admitted he could not secure WORD or other media and had selected someone else without consulting the campaigns," Bradley said. "I understand two-thirds of the candidates raised concerns about how this moderator could provide a fair process for all of the candidates, and I engaged with Chairman Tiller through today to find an alternative solution. Yet Party leaders refused to change course and publicly defended their choice of moderator."
Bradley, a lifelong conservative Republican and member of the Spartanburg GOP since 2007, emphasized that Party infrastructure should never be used to favor one candidate over another.
"Republican primary voters deserve a fair forum where every candidate has an equal opportunity to be heard," Bradley said.
Instead of attending the October 7 event, Bradley will speak directly with voters that evening. He also pointed to a separate October 16 forum at 6:45 pm, hosted by WORD, the Fourth District Republican Club, and the Palmetto House Republican Women, where all candidates are expected to participate.
