4 candidates running for 2 Turbeville council seats

By ROBERT BAKER
Item Staff Writer
bbaker@theitem.com

TURBEVILLE — When resident J. Doyle Gray retired officially from his role as the town’s police chief on Jan. 2 after more than 18 cumulative years with the police force, he said he didn’t have any set plans.

“Now that I’m retired, I plan to do a lot of nothing,” he said. “I like to restore old cars and there’s always work to do around the house. But I basically plan on doing nothing except the stuff I want to do.”

On Tuesday, Gray will be one of four candidates vying for two seats on Turbeville Town Council. An election from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Turbeville Town Hall will decide the winners.

Gray began working for Turbeville in 1989 after retiring from the Army. Four years later, he made the move to the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Department.

“I was an administrative major with the department for about one-and-a-half years,” Gray said. “But I came back in 1995.”

Joining Gray in Tuesday’s race is incumbent Marion Dukes, owner of Dukes Insurance Agency.

“I went on council in 1994,” the 62-year-old said. “I’m going into my 16th year.”

A Turbeville native, Dukes said he feels he has represented the town the best he could.

“I’ve been living here all my life; I plan to live here for the rest of my life,” he said. “I feel like the town needs representation for the people that live in it and I feel like I have done a good job.”

Dukes said he was most proud of his work with the town’s Recreation Department.

“We have improved it considerably,” he said, noting additions like Seloc Park, which opened in 2008. “We have a well-rounded activity schedule all year. That’s one of the things I’m proud of.”

Political newcomer Jason Newsome said that while experience matters, perhaps “a fresh set of eyes could help the town improve further.”

“Economic development would be my top priority,” said the 29-year-old assistant manager at the Turbeville IGA. “We need to be able to make the community stable for the citizens in the long-term, and I think a fresh set of eyes would be good for that.”

A graduate of East Clarendon High School and Winthrop University, Newsome is married to Kimberly Newsome and is the father of Maddie, 5, and Graham, 3.

“I really think that I can do something for this community,” he said. “I plan to be here for a long time, so I’m looking to do something that will help us grow in the future.”

Incumbent Dr. Kate E. Smith rounds out the four candidates vying for seats Tuesday. A family practice physician with East Clarendon Medical Center in Turbeville, she serves as mayor pro tempore and is completing her second term. She could not be reached for comment.

Town Council is made up of four members and a mayor, all of whom serve staggered four-year terms.

Town Administrator Pat Goodwin said the seats would be decided by majority vote.

“The only way we would have any kind of run-off (election) is if there were a tie,” he said.

He added that only registered voters can vote in Tuesday’s election.

For more information, call Turbeville Town Hall at (843) 659-2781.



Contact Staff Writer Robert Baker at bbaker@theitem.com or (803) 435-8511.