Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston Counties have joined together to host, the final 1^st Congressional District Debate of the primary season, just three weeks before the Congressional primary, aboard the USS Yorktown, Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 8 PM. The cost to the public to attend the Debate will be $35.00 per person. A pre-debate reception will be held aboard the Spirit of Carolina at 6:30 PM .  Contact one of the Chairman regarding  information and cost to attend the reception.

A straw poll, to determine the winner of the debate, will be conducted at the conclusion of the debate by those in attendance.

Candidates who have confirmed their participation include: State House Representative Tim Scott, Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond, Mt. Pleasant Town Councilman Ken Glasson, Businessman Carroll “Tumpy” Campbell, III, Businessman Mark Lutz, Attorney Larry Kobrovsky, Gulf War Veteran Katherine Jenerette, Certified Public Accountant Clark Parker, and former Charleston Southern University VP Stovall Witte.

“We are pleased to join this effort with Charleston and Dorchester Counties to showcase these great candidates and to give the general public an opportunity to see and hear what the candidates have to say on the issues South Carolina will face during the upcoming Legislative session in Washington.”, said Tim Callanan, Chairman of the Berkeley County Republican Party.

“Voters are concerned about the way Washington is operating.”, added Carroll Duncan, Dorchester County Chairman. “The choice for a Congressman from the 1^st District will be scrutinized and tough choices will be made by the voters. Who represents the 1^st District in DC will be of the upmost importance to the voters. Information is key.”

Lin Bennett, Chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party stated, “The USS Yorktown is the perfect venue to hold an event of this nature. Patriot’s Point encompasses the spirit of freedom and liberty.” She further added, “This effort, between the three County Parties, shows the unity and resolve that we have to ensure victories leading up to the November elections. We will be doing more events together in the coming months. This is just the beginning steps of a strong partnership.”

Additional details and information about the event can be found at the Party’s websites: www.charlestongop.org; www.berkelycountygop.org; or www.sc.gop .

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