Incumbent Brackett holds off challenger in top York, Union prosecutor race
Incumbent Kevin Brackett on Tuesday fended off a challenge from an assistant public defender in the Republican primary race for 16th Circuit solicitor, according to unofficial results from the S.C. Elections Commission.
There is no Democratic candidate in November’s general election. So, a win for Brackett almost certainly means another term in January as York County’s top prosecutor. The 16th Circuit covers both York and Union counties.
Brackett, 59, had about 72% of the vote with all precincts reporting in both counties. Challenger Tyler Bratton had about 30% of the vote.
Brackett first became solicitor in 2006. This year, Brackett had opposition for the first time since 2008, when he defeated a Democrat in the general election.
Brackett ran on his 32-year record of fighting crime. During the campaign, he touted that his office prosecuted violent killers, sexual predators, white collar criminals and other crimes that threatened public safety.
“I am confident with the results in we have in now, I will be the victor in this contest,” Brackett said around 9:30 p.m. “I am grateful for the support of the community.”
Brackett said at 9:30 p.m. he had not yet received a concession call from Bratton. At that time, Union County was fully reported. About half of York County precincts had reported.
Brackett said a contested election was a performance review that he and his office received from the public they serve. The goal is to provide the highest quality of justice for all people and keep them safe, Brackett said.
The results of the performance review are “overwhelmingly positive,” Brackett said.
The position pays $196,752 per year and is a four-year term. He heads a team of dozens of prosecutors, investigators and other staff that handle several thousand cases every year.
An assistant public defender, Bratton’s first run for public office appeared to have come up short in the primary.
Reached by phone around 9:30 p.m., Bratton said he was looking forward to all the votes being counted.
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 9:51 PM.
