On Friday, the campaign of S.C. Senate District 42 candidate Marlon Kimpson picked up three notable nominations from politicians who opposed him just days earlier in the Democratic primary: Herbert Fielding, Margaret Rush, and Emmanuel Ferguson. Kimpson, an attorney, will face opponent Maurice Washington in a Democratic primary runoff on Aug. 27.
In press releases from Kimpson’s campaign, which were sent over the course of two hours Friday afternoon, the three former candidates gave the following statements about Kimpson:
Fielding:
I’ve known Marlon Kimpson and his family for most of my life. I am endorsing him because of his dedication to our public schools and to expanding Medicaid. Marlon is committed to the people of district 42 and will be a strong advocate for us. He’ll also stand up for the Democratic Party’s values and President Obama’s polices.
Rush:
I have had ample opportunity over the past few months to analyze and observe Marlon’s approach to service in the District, and I am confident that the issues that I am concerned about will be addressed through his election. He has assured me that he will follow through on those issues of importance, and it is based on that assurance that I am happy to endorse him. It is my intention to vote for and support Marlon, and I encourage my supporters to do the same
Ferguson:
This is an important run-off. We need to make sure that the new State Senator is capable of leading the district in the right direction. Marlon Kimpson is that person.
On Tues. Aug. 13, Kimpson received the largest number of votes in the special Democratic primary, capturing about 44 percent of the votes cast. Washington took about 22 percent, Rush 21 percent, Ferguson 7 percent, and Fielding 6 percent. A sixth candidate, Bob Thompson, got 0.59 percent of the votes cast. Voter turnout was 7.7 percent of the total registered voters in the district.