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Published: Wednesday, Jun. 04, 2008 / Updated: Wednesday, Jun. 04, 2008 01:20 PM

Fort Mill Township voters go to the polls

There are several primary races local voters will decide on Tuesday, June 10. Here's a look at the candidates:

York County Council 5

Longtime County Councilman Curwood Chappell is also facing a primary challenge this year from Ashley Martin for the District 5 seat. There is no Democratic primary race.

Curwood Chappell

Age: 78

Resident of: Rock Hill

Occupation: Chappell is retired and has turned his veterinary practice over to his sons.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Has held the York County Council District 5 seat since 1992; helped form the first Republican precinct in York County in 1948; worked for late Sen. Strom Thurmond's campaigns; former member of the York County Election Commission; active in politics since 1948.

Ashley Martin

Age: 27

Occupation: Martin is a sales manager

Resident of: Fort Mill Township

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Former member of the College Republicans; Vice Chair of the York County Young Republicans; volunteer with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure; volunteer with Safe Passage.

Coroner

The York County Coroner's race features a Democratic Primary showdown between former Coroner Jim Chapman and Pete Skidmore, a Fort Mill-based private investigator. The winner will face Republican Sabrina Gast, who served as interim coroner from 2006 to 2008, in November. Recently reinstated Coroner Doug McKeown is also attempting to gather enough signatures to run as an independent candidate on the November ballot.

Jim Chapman

Age: 59

Resident of: Rock Hill

Occupation: Chapman is a corporate security officer for Belk in Charlotte. He was previuosly a full time paramedic with Piedmont Medical Center.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Served as York County Coroner 1984-'94; former member of the York Jaycees; taught First Responder courses to various fire departments and rescue squads throughout the region prior to serving as coroner; former member of York Fire and Rescue Squad.

Pete Skidmore Sr.

Age: 46

Resident of: Fort Mill Township

Occupation: Skidmore is the owner of Skidmore and Associates, a private investigation firm based in Fort Mill Township.

Political Expeience/Civic Involvement: Founding member and Vice Chair of the S.C. Public Defender's Investigator's Board; former member of The Beacon Knoll Home Owners Board; former member of the Johnson YMCA Board; involved with youth football and basketball over the past 25 years.

S.C. House 45

Democrats and Republicans vying for the House District 45 seat each face opponents in next week's primaries.

Donald Huffman

Age 59

Resident of: Lancaster

Occupation: Retired from Springs Industries, owner, Huffman TV Repair and sales

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Dixie Youth Baseball Board of Directors, Lancaster County Recreation Commission

Deborah Long

Age: 52

Resident of: Indian Land

Occupation: Optometrist and owner of Fort Mill Vision Center.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Campaigns in her professional field -- first female president of the S.C. Optometric Association and served on its executive committee, a member of the S.C. Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Bruce Miller

Age: 65

Resident of: Indian Land

Occupation: Licensed real estate agent with Prudential in Ballantyne

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Behind-the-scenes Republican Party campaign involvement since he was a teenager; worked on state and national presidential campaigns.

Tony Starnes

Age: 58

Resident of: Lancaster

Occupation: Town of Kershaw Administrator, Springs Industries for 25 years

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: no prior political experience, been Town Admininstrator for almost five years, member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lancaster, member of Economic Development Board.

Fred Thomas

Age: 44

Resident of: Lancaster

Occupation: Thomas was the project director for an after school program in housing projects in Lancaster for three years before resigning recently to teach U.S. history at Lancaster High School. He is also on staff at McMullen Funeral Home and the Lancaster Golf Club.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Lancaster County Council Vice Chairman, currently serving his second term. Chairman of the Lancaster County Council Development Committee. Member of the Lancaster County Economic Development Board. Served as state Ombudsman for Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services under then-Gov. Jim Hodges. Served as Chief Page for then-Chairman of Ways and Means Committee Tom G. Mangum.

Lancaster County Council 1

In Indian Land, a Republican primary to determine the County Council District 1 representative who serves the Indian Land and Van Wyck communities. No Democrat is running for the District 1 seat.

Larry McCullough

Age: 58

Resident of: Indian Land

Occupation: Vice President of Information Technology at Wachovia

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: McCullough has served on numerous boards, including the board of directors for the March of Dimes in Greensboro and as president of the board of the North Carolina Telecommunications Association.

Alan Patterson

Age: 41

Resident of: Indian Land

Occupation: Sales service representative for Wycoff Color Corporation and owner of Bruster's Ice Cream in Matthews.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Patterson has served on the board of trustees at Harrison United Methodist Church. He is also a member of the Pleasant Valley Fire District Board.

S.C. House 48

Voters in S.C. State House District 48 will have a choice between incumbent Republican Carl Gullick and challenger Kyle Boyd. There is no Deomcratic primary race for the seat.

Kyle Boyd

Age: 33

Resident of: Fort Mill

Occupation: Boyd is principal and co-founder of Walnut Grove Christian School. He previously taught science and math in S.C. public schools.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: none.

Carl Gullick

Age: 55

Resident of: Lake Wylie

Occupation: Gullick is a consultant with Gullick and Associates, and is a past host of television series on the WB network and ETV. He is also a past adjunct professor of business administration at Wingate University.

Political Experience/Civic Involvement: Member of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce since 1993, and served as chairman in 2005. Also a member of the Rock Hill Rotary Club since 1993; member of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce since 2005; was a member of the Keystone Board of Directors in 2005; served on the Board of Directors for the Charlotte Regional Partnership 1994-2001; served on the Metropolitan Transit Committee 1998-2001; past Vice-President of the Luray Chamber of Commerce; past Chairman of RFATS; past member of the Allocations Committee for Trident Area United Way; past Vice-President of the Charleston Personnel Association; former Chairman of the York County Council 1993-2001.