GPS Conservatives endorse 5 in York County GOP races

Five Republicans running in contested races in the June primary have received the backing of a York County conservative group.

The GPS Conservatives for Action PAC formally endorsed the five candidates via email this week, all but one a challenger to an incumbent or a candidate for an open seat.

U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-Indian Land, was the only incumbent to receive an endorsement from the group. Mulvaney, an congressman since he knocked off longtime incumbent John Spratt in the 5th Congressional District during influx of tea party candidates in 2010, is facing a primary challenge June 14 from nonprofit coordinator Ray Craig.

Two challengers seeking to beat incumbents also picked up the group’s endorsement: Wes Climer, the former York County GOP chairman running to unseat Sen. Wes Hayes, a legislator for 30 years, in S.C. Senate District 15; and Joe Cox, a former member of the York County Council who is trying to regain his seat from Robert Winkler, who ended Cox’s re-election bid in the 2014 primary.

Also receiving endorsements are Allison Love, running for an open seat in York County Council District 2 against Doug Meyer-Cuno in a race largely revolving around development issues in Lake Wylie; and Kevin Tolson, who is waging a sometimes contentious race for York County sheriff against John Williams.

GPS Conservatives is a Rock Hill-based political action committee generally opposed to tax increases and higher government debt. The group’s vice president, Swain Shepard, said in the email that GPS made its endorsements based on “member input, evaluating their individual qualifications and their stances on individual liberty and freedoms for York County residents.”

The June 14 primary is open to all registered voters who do not vote in the Democratic primary. None of the races highlighted by GPS have a Democrat running except for the congressional race, where Tega Cay Democrat Fran Person will face either Craig or Mulvaney.

Voters don’t need to have cast a ballot in February’s two presidential primaries to vote in June, and aren’t bound to vote in the same party primary as they cast their presidential primary vote.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "GPS Conservatives endorse 5 in York County GOP races."