Karen Hollings, widow of the late nephew of U.S. Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, filed Tuesday to run for the Democratic nomination to be Charleston County’s Registrar of Deeds.
The Mount Pleasant resident will face controversial Democratic first-term incumbent Michael Miller, who made headlines for paperwork backlogs and management issues. Filing for the office closes at noon Wednesday with the primary election set for June 14.
Karen Hollings worked in the deeds office for 16 years and resigned from her position in 2021. She said she witnessed the need for change in management on a regular basis during Miller’s tenure.
“I’m running to restore the integrity of the Register of Deeds office,” she told the Charleston City Paper. “The Charleston County Register of Deeds office was regarded as the gold standard of register of deeds offices statewide. We’ve lost that in the last few years. We need to reinstate efficiency and competency. We need to create methodologies to process the work in a timely and legal manner.”
The Register of Deeds office is responsible for recording property sales, liens, mortgages, powers of attorney and other legal documents.
Long delays at the office and an accused firing of a senior employee who described herself as a whistleblower have landed Miller in controversy. Miller was elected in 2018, and lawsuits filed in 2021 claimed the backlog and delays could result in tax bills being sent to the wrong people. The frustrations peaked during a February County Council meeting in which members were asked to make the office an appointed one, rather than an elected position.
Miller did not respond to a request for comment by the time this story was published.
Hollings said she would be running for this office even if her last name wasn’t linked by marriage to the late senator, who was first elected in Charleston County in 1948. Ernest Hollings died in 2019 after a 38-year career in the U.S. Senate.
Karen Hollings was married to Robbie Hollings, who died in 2014. She said she has offered a strong balance between business savvy and creative capabilities during her years of experience contributing to advanced performance in the Charleston County legal and real estate scenes. She has worked in diverse organizations, agencies and businesses in the private and public sectors.
Other tri-county candidates who had filed for election as of noon today, are listed below.
Statewide elections
| Jurisdiction | Office | Party | District | Candidate |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Independent | Jokie Beckett Jr. | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Democratic | Joe Cunningham | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Democratic | Mia McLeod | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Republican | Henry McMaster | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Democratic | Calvin CJ Mack McMillan | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Republican | Harrison Musselwhite | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Republican | Mindy L Steele | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Labor | Gary M. Votour | |
| State | Governor/Lt. Gov. | Democratic | William H. Williams | |
| State | Secretary of State | Democratic | Peggy Butler | |
| State | Secretary of State | Republican | Mark Hammond | |
| State | State Treasurer | Republican | Curtis Loftis | |
| State | State Treasurer | Alliance | Sarah E. Work | |
| State | Attorney General | Republican | Lauren Martel | |
| State | Attorney General | Republican | Alan Wilson | |
| State | Comprotller General | Republican | Richard Eckstrom | |
| State | Superintendent | Democratic | Lisa Ellis | |
| State | Superintendent | Republican | Sheri Few | |
| State | Superintendent | Republican | Kizzi Gibson | |
| State | Superintendent | Democratic | Jerry Govan | |
| State | Superintendent | Republican | Lynda Leventis-Wells | |
| State | superintendent | Republican | Kathy Maness | |
| State | Superintendent | Republican | Ellen Weaver | |
| State | Ag Commissioner | Green | David Edmond | |
| State | Ag Commissioner | Republican | Bob Rozier | |
| State | Ag Commissioner | Republican | Hugh Weathers |
Congressional Elections
| Jurisdiction | Office | Party | District | Candidate |
| State | U.S. Senate | Democratic | S.C. 2 | Krystle Matthews |
| State | U.S. Senate | Republican | S.C. 2 | Tim Scott |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Republican | District 1 | Katie Arrington |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Labor | District 1 | Lucas Devan Faulk |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Republican | District 1 | Nancy Mace |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Alliance | District 1 | Joseph Oddo |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Republican | District 1 | Lynz Piper-Loomis |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Democratic | District 6 | Michael Addison |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Republican | District 6 | Duke Buckner |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Democratic | District 6 | James Clyburn |
| State | U.S. Rep. | Democratic | District 6 | Gregg Marcel Dixon |
State House of Representatives Elections
| Jurisdiction | Office | Party | District | Candidate |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Democratic | District 15 | JA Moore |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 15 | Latrecia Pond |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 80 | Kathy Landing |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 80 | Donna Brown Newton |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 80 | Chris Staubes |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Republican | District 92 | Brandon Cox |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Republican | District 94 | Gil Gatch |
| Orangeburg | State Rep. | Republican | District 95 | Jeffrey Cila |
| Orangeburg | State Rep. | Democratic | District 95 | Gilda Cobb-Hunter |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Republican | District 97 | Candace Jennings |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Democratic | District 97 | ReZsaun Lewis |
| Colleton | State Rep. | Republican | District 97 | Glenn Posey |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Republican | District 97 | Robby Robbins |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Republican | District 98 | Greg Ford |
| Dorchester | State Rep. | Republican | District 98 | Christopher J. Murphy |
| DState | State Rep. | Republican | District 99 | Marvin Mark Smith |
| State | State Rep. | Republican | District 100 | Sylleste Davis |
| Florence | State Rep. | Democratic | District 101 | Roger K. Kirby |
| Williamsburg | State Rep. | Democratic | District 101 | Cezar McKnight |
| Williamsburg | State Rep. | Democratic | District 101 | William Terry Wallace |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Republican | District 102 | Ralph Elsey |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Democratic | District 102 | Collin Holloway |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Democratic | District 102 | Joe H. Jefferson Jr. |
| Georgetown | State Rep. | Democratic | District 103 | Carl Anderson |
| Georgetown | State Rep. | Republican | District 108 | Lee Hewitt |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 109 | Deon Tedder |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 110 | Tom Hartnett |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 110 | Ellis Roberts |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 111 | Wendell G. Gilliard |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 112 | Joe Bustos |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 112 | Jackie LaPan Edgerton |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Repubilcan | District 112 | Ross Ward |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 113 | Marvin Pendarvis |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 114 | Lin Bennett |
| Charelston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 114 | Michelle Brandt |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 115 | Caroll O’Neal |
| Charelston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 115 | Spencer Wetmore |
| Charelston | State Rep. | Republican | District 116 | Dixie Button |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 116 | Matthew Leber |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 116 | Chardale Murray |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Democratic | District 117 | Krystle Matthews |
| Berkeley | State Rep. | Republican | District 117 | Jordan Pace |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Republican | District 119 | Ken Fipps |
| Charleston | State Rep. | Democratic | District 119 | Leon Stavrinakis |
County Office Elections
| Jurisdiction | Office | Party | District | Candidate |
| Charelston | Probate Judge | Republican | Irv Condon | |
| Charleston | Probate Judge | Democratic | Tamara Cunningham Curry | |
| Charleston | Probate Judge | Democratic | Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley | |
| Berkeley | Probate Judge | Republican | Keith Kornahrens | |
| Berkeley | Clerk of Court | Republican | Leah Guerry Dupree | |
| Berkeley | Sheriff | Republican | Duane Lewis | |
| Berkeley | Coroner | Republican | Darnell D. Hartwell | |
| Berkeley | Coroner | Republican | Danny Mazzell | |
| Berkeley | County Supervisor | Republican | Johnny Cribb | |
| Chareleston | Register of Deeds | Republican | Bob McIntyre | |
| Charleston | Register of Deeds | Democratic | Michael Miller | |
| Charleston | Register of Deeds | Democratic | Karen Lesser Hollings | |
| Berkeley | Register of Deeds | Republican | Cindy Forte | |
| Charleston | County Council | Republican | District 1 | Herb Sass |
| Charleston | County Council | Republican | District 2 | Chris Gramiccioni |
| Charelston | County Council | Republican | District 2 | Larry Kobrovsky |
| Charleston | County Council | Democratic | District 5 | Teddie Pryor |
| Charleston | County Council | Republican | District 8 | Joe Boykin |
| Charleston | County Council | Democratic | District 8 | Anna B Johnson |
| Charleston | County Council | Democratic | District 8 | Ronald Ladson |
| Charleston | County Council | Republican | District 9 | Jenny Costa Honeycutt |
| Charleston | County Council | Democratic | District 9 | Dylan Tullberg |
| Dorchester | County Council | Republican | District 1 | Hariet Holman |
| Dorchester | County Council | Republican | District 1 | Wayne H. Reeves |
| Dorchester | County Council | Republican | District 2 | David Chinnis |
| Dorchester | County Council | Republican | District 3 | Rita May Ranck |
| Dorchester | County Council | Republican | District 7 | Jay Byars |
| Berkeley | County Council | Republican | District 5 | Amy Stern |
| Berkeley | County Council | Republican | District 6 | Robert H. Jeffcoat |
| Berkeley | County Council | Republican | District 6 | Marshall West |
| Berkeley | County Council | Democratic | District 7 | Caldwell Pinckney Jr. |
| Berkeley | County Council | Republican | District 8 | Billy Conyers |
| Berkeley | County Council | Democratic | District 8 | Steve C. Davis |
| Berkeley | County Council | Republican | District 8 | Darrel Wadford |
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