Any surprises on the ballot? Who’s running for Lexington County offices in 2024

Bristow Marchant
·2 min read
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The choices Lexington County voters will have on their ballots in 2024 became clearer on Monday.

Noon was the deadline for party candidates to register for races up and down the ballot, giving the candidates time to campaign and election officials time to print the ballots before primaries this summer decide on the party nominees.

Several Lexington County local races will be decided in the Republican primary on June 11, as no Democrat or other candidate filed to run for those offices. Here’s who filed to run for Lexington County offices in 2024.

County sheriff

Incumbent Sheriff Jay Koon, who has served in the post since 2015, will seek a third full term this year.

Koon faces three former deputies in the Republican primary.

▪ Alan Driggers served as the head of the agency’s criminal intelligence unit before he retired in 2020 to start his own business;

▪ Garry Rozier, a former South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agent, was with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for seven years, finishing as lieutenant over special operations;

▪ Billy Warren is also a former Lexington County sheriff’s deputy who retired from law enforcement in 2017 as a sergeant with S.C. Highway Patrol.

County Council

Five County Council seats this year will also be contested in the Republican primary.

▪ Michael Bishop is running against incumbent Scott Whetstone in District 1 in the Gaston-Pelion-Swansea area.

▪ Councilman Darrell Hudson faces a primary challenge from Brent Munnerlyn in District 3, which represents a growing area west of the town of Lexington.

▪ Todd Cockrell and Doug Leonard are running in a seat left open by Councilwoman Debbie Summers in District 4, which runs along Augusta Road between Springdale and the eastern part of Lexington.

▪ Councilman Gene “Bimbo” Jones will face Clifford Fisher in District 5, covering the Red Bank area south of Interstate 20.

▪ Jason “J.J.” Resnick will challenge Councilwoman Charli Wessinger in District 6, which covers Chapin and the Lexington County side of Irmo.

Four other seats on Lexington County Council — those held by Larry Brigham, Beth Carrigg, Glen Conwell and Todd Cullum— won’t be on the ballot until 2026.

Other county races

Several other county races will be uncontested.

Clerk of Court Lisa Comer, Treasurer Jim Eckstrom, Coroner Margaret Fisher, Register of Deeds Tina Guerry and Auditor Chris Harmon are all running for reelection without opposition.

Solicitor Rick Hubbard, who also covers Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda counties, is also running unopposed.

Lexington County voters will also choose who will represent them in both the S.C. House of Representatives and the S.C. Senate this fall, with several contested primary races that could ultimately decide the winner.

Here’s everyone who’s filed to run for the S.C. House of Representatives.

Here’s everyone who’s filed to run for the S.C. Senate.

Here’s everyone who’s filed to run for S.C. Congressional seats.