Deborah Long, 52, is a fiscal conservative who advocates home rule and bureaucratic streamlining. She has lived in Indian Land for at least 20 years and practiced optometry in Fort Mill for more than 25 years. She employs 10 people and operates Fort Mill Vision Center with an associate.

Bruce Miller, 65, cites stores he has operated in different parts of the country and extensive travel and residence abroad as a plus because he brings a fresh viewpoint. He is a licensed real estate agent with Prudential at Ballantyne in both South and North Carolina. He has lived in Sun City Carolina Lakes for a year and a half and cites the advantages of having a fresh eye on the community.

"I have a background of absorbing the cultures of many places," he said. "If you look at a photograph too long, it becomes blurry. I think too many people have stared at local politics too much, too long and that it's become blurry."

House District 45 includes northeastern York County and northern Lancaster County, including fast-growing Indian Land near Charlotte's Ballantyne area. In the November election, the Republican winner will face one of three candidates running in the Democratic primary.

The candidates are seeking the post held by Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-Indian Land, who is making a run for the state Senate post being vacated by Greg Gregory.

Both candidates agree Lancaster County needs an economic boost, that the strength of local schools needs to be preserved and augmented with more choice and that growth must be controlled in both counties.

"We spend, spend, spend in good economic years, then have to cut back," Long said. "We have to put a stop to wasteful spending. I think we have to streamline our government system."

She says, rather than offering frivolous grants and imposing taxes that only help in good economic times, the state should cut expenses, save and put some of that money into practical items such as more school buses. She cites S.C. Act 388, which replaced homeowner taxes to operate schools with a penny sales tax, as an example of windfall revenue that helps only in good economic times.

Miller would like to use his cultural expertise to reach out to other states and countries for economic growth. He advocates more trade and technological programs in this area to prepare local out-of-work textile employees for new jobs.

"We need a technical high school," he said of Lancaster County. "The kids don't see a future here. There is a tremendous dropout rate. We have to bring it to a screaming halt."

Long supports more choices within schools because children learn differently. She cites the Montessori method and virtual and single-gender classrooms as choices that can benefit some children.

Both candidates said they have not seen a voucher or tax-credit system that works and want local schools protected.

They concur growth needs to be controlled, but they have different approaches.

Long sees government regulations as stifling positive growth and believes home rule can curtail that.

"We need to protect small business and encourage entrepreneurs," she said. "Lower taxes, smaller government and business incentives. If I were a small businessperson in Lancaster, I would resent a big chain coming in to set up a store with incentives I wasn't entitled to."

Miller believes a trained work force and aggressive outreach could result in a stronger tax base, but that York and Lancaster counties need to work together so that areas such as U.S. 521 don't become a strip mall.

Members of the S.C. House of Representatives serve a two-year term and earn $10,400 a year.

Get more information about the June 10 primaries at heraldonline.com/localprimaries.

Deborah Long

• Age: 52; born Nov. 27, 1955

• Education: Bachelor's in biology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 1976; doctorate from Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tenn., in 1980; professional continuing education

• Career: Optometrist, operates Fort Mill Vision Center

• Family: Husband, Jim; daughter, Leta, and son, Phil; eight grandchildren

• Political experience: 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; born Nov. 12, 1942

• Education: Associate degree in performing arts from the American Academy of Performing Arts; associate degree in advertising and journalism from the Charles Morris Price School, a division of the Poor Richard Club in Philadelphia

• Career: Performed in theater, television and film; worked in promotions for two Philadelphia TV stations, business entrepreneur in Philadelphia and other parts of the country; a licensed real estate agent in North and South Carolina with Prudential in Ballantyne.

• Family: Wife, Florence; daughter, Dana, and son, Adam; one grandchild

• Political experience: Behind-the-scenes Republican Party campaign involvement since he was a teenager; worked on state and national presidential campaigns