Lexington, SC 04/08/2024 (Paul Kirby) – Garry Rozier, a candidate for Lexington County Sheriff, has been informed by the SC Republican Party that he does not meet the residency requirements under SC State Law to run for that office. Rozier said that he received a one-line email from the party advising him of that after he gathered all the documents he was asked to submit in regard to where he lives and a home he owns on Lake Murray in Newberry County.
“I do own a home in Newberry County however, I have been living in a home I rent in the Chapin area because it is closer to my work and friends. I did that not because of the election but because it’s what I wanted to do. I moved well before the deadline to run for office in Lexington County,” Rozier said. “The South Carolina GOP asked that I submit documents like my driver’s license, my voter registration card, and number of other things that show proof of residency. I even went to the Newberry County auditor’s office and got the documentation that shows I pay a 6% non-resident tax rate on my Newberry County property. Even with all of that in their hands, I was still decertified and if that stands, I won’t be on the June 11th primary ballot.”
Rozier says that he has hired well-known Lexington County Attorney Rich Bolen to file an injunction on his behalf. “Rich is extremely well versed on the ins and outs of Republican politics in both Lexington County and the State of South Carolina. He and I believe that we can have this overturned.”
If Rozier cannot overcome this obstacle and have his name added back to the primary ballot, he says he will run against Sheriff Koon as an Independent in November. “This seems very much like dirty political tricks,” Rozier stated. “I owe it to the people who have put their faith in me, prayed for me, and donated to this effort not to try and win,” he concluded.
PHOTO: Garry Rozier
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