Richardson Announces Candidacy for SC 7th Congressional District

CONWAY, S.C., Feb. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Horry County School Board Chairman Ken Richardson announced today he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for the South Carolina 7^th Congressional District.

Richardson's announcement makes him the first official candidate to declare a run at the 7^th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Tom Rice.

"I will not be seeking reelection to the school board chairmanship in 2022," Richardson said. "Instead I am 100 percent dedicated to taking Tom Rice out of Congress.

"I want to thank the voters for placing their trust in me as school board chairman," Richardson said. "I believe we have made a lot of progress within the school district and will continue to do my very best for the students of the Horry County in the two years I have left in office."

Richardson is the only person in the state to have served as Chairman of the Board at both the K-12 and college levels. He served 20 years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Horry Georgetown Technical College before being elected as Chairman of the Board of Horry County Schools.

"Education will continue to be a top priority of mine at the federal level," Richardson said. "I believe what is taught in our schools is very important and I am willing to fight for top quality education across the nation."

Richardson said federal government dollars sent to local school districts often come with many strings attached. He said he will work in Congress to lessen federal dictates on local schools.

"Parents, teachers and school boards should have input into what is taught in local schools," Richardson. "I don't believe the school curriculum should be dictated by the demands of standardized tests alone."

Richardson has spent the last two weeks putting together a campaign staff all of whom live and work within the congressional district.

"It's not necessary to go to Columbia or other states to staff a campaign," Richardson said. "There are plenty of quality people within the 7^th District and I prefer to use those local specialists in my campaign. The money my campaign is going to spend in this effort will be spent within this district."

Those hiring practices go along with Richardson's philosophy of Congressional representation.

"This is not Tom Rice's seat nor is it Ken Richardson's seat. It is the People's seat and I believe the peoples' representative in Washington should vote according to the wishes of the majority of those he represents."

Ken Richardson will hold a one hour press conference today at the Richardson Art Gallery, Conway Campus of Horry Georgetown Technical College, U.S 501, Conway, SC. The press conference will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday February 3, 2021.

Ken Richardson is a lifelong resident of Horry County. He is married to wife Donna for 43 years. The couple has two children and two grandchildren. All three generations are products of Horry County Schools.

Education has always been a passion of Richardson's. He served four years on the Coastal Carolina University Advisory Board, 20 years on the Horry Georgetown Technical College Board of Trustees, 16 as Chairman. Richardson was elected in 2018 as Chairman of the Horry County School Board.

Richardson is currently Chairman Emeritus of the HGTC Board, a member of the Conway High School Alumni Hall of Fame and the Richardson Art Gallery at HGTC is named for him.

SOURCE Ken Richardson for Congress