Please contact Gretchen Meyers at 840-9692 if you would like to attend.

Tony Bawrick will officially announce his Candidacy at 3 P.M. Friday March 16th at 335 Broad Street (Palmetto Pigeon/Southern States Store) in Sumter, SC. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Arnold
843.580.6474 | patrick@donehuedirect.com
 

Sumter businessman and Republican candidate for Senate District 35, Tony Barwick, today issued the following statement on Democrat Thomas McElveen's entry into the race.

"I look forward to a spirited debate and good race with Mr. McElveen, but the fact is that people in Sumter are ready for a conservative change." Barwick said. "Sumter voters know that the way to build the economy is by cutting government and getting Columbia politics out of the private sector. I am ready to represent Sumter, not the liberal agenda of the Democratic Party - and I'll do that by cutting spending, cutting taxes, and fighting to restructure government. We don't need to elect a Democratic Party yes-man to this seat."

Barwick for SC Senate announces that Johnson James has been hired as the Campaign Coordinator. Johnson brings a youthful energy, as well as a local flair to the Campaign.

The campaign is also joined by Gretchen Meyers. Gretchen is an experienced fundraiser and campaign coordinator. She has worked on various campaigns in the past.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wesley Donehue
843.460.7990 | Wesley@DonehueDirect.com
 

Barwick: "We need to remove the roadblocks preventing South Carolina's progress"

Republican business leader Tony Barwick today announced his intentions to run for South Carolina Senate District 35. The seat is currently occupied by liberal Democrat Phil Leventis, and the district now encompasses parts of Sumter, Lee, Richland and Kershaw counties after redistricting. Barwick is CEO of Palmetto Pigeon Plant where he employees 65 local residents. He is also the managing partner of WTLK Group and Broad Street Developers, commercial real estate businesses driving economic growth in Sumter.

Barwick is running because too many good ideas have died in the State Senate at the hands of politicians beholden to special interest groups. He believes we need more constitutional conservatives who operate with a business mentality.

"South Carolinians are hardworking people, but we are kept back by politicians who don't want to see change. We need leaders who understand that government is not the answer to our state's problems. South Carolina's economy will boom when we remove the obstacles an antiquated government structure is putting in our way," Barwick said.

Barwick continued, "Just last year, a commission recommended a complete overhaul of our tax structure, but politicians never took it up because they're putting the demands of lobbyists over the demands of taxpayers. Needed spending caps and restructuring bills keep dying in the Senate. I've learned in business that when there is a problem, you have to remove it or your business will fail. The only way to change our failing system is to change senators."

South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly agreed and said that incumbent Senator Phil Leventis has been a roadblock to needed government reforms. "Senator Leventis is a roadblock for reform. He often takes the floor and filibusters for hours to kill pro-business legislation. His actions have consistently hurt our chances for economic growth and in particular, his roadblocks have decreased home ownership in our state."

Barwick promised to support an overhaul of the state's tax system, zero-based budgeting, spending caps and the restructuring of South Carolina's wasteful and unaccountable state agencies. He also vowed to fight back against the federal intrusion on South Carolina's rights including the the Obama administration's disapproval of our Voter ID law.

Today, Barwick also announced that Gretchen Meyers will serve as his Campaign Manager and Greg Thompson will serve as campaign Finance Chairman.

Tony Barwick is a graduate of Furman High School and Clemson University. He has been a community leader serving on boards for 4H, Tuomey Foundation, YMCA and the Sumter Downtown Economic Development Board. He previously served as president of the Sumter Rotary Club and chairman of the South Carolina Poultry Foundation. He coaches JV football as the offensive and defensive line coach. Tony, his wife and two children currently live in Sumter.