Candidates talk with voters one-on-one as grassroots coalition overcomes a sabotage effort against the meet-and-greet event
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. — In what many attendees described as a rare and unusually broad gathering of Republican candidates from federal, statewide, legislative, and local races all under one roof, Greenville County conservative grassroots organizations drew candidates, activists, media personalities, and voters together Monday evening for what organizers called a highly successful second “Get Connected!” voter engagement event ahead of the June 9th Republican Primary. Several longtime political organizers said they could not recall another grassroots political event in South Carolina's primary history that brought together so many candidates from across the ballot in one public setting.
Held May 11th at Hughes Main Library on Heritage Green Plaza, the political engagement event featured candidates from federal, statewide, and local races meeting directly with voters in an open forum atmosphere organized by a coalition of Upstate conservative Republican groups in partnership with 98.9 WORD radio.
Organizers described the gathering as a unique opportunity for Republican voters to engage personally with so many candidates while helping strengthen grassroots unity and voter awareness ahead of the primary season.
Jeff Magg of the Palmetto Conservative Fund said, “What an amazing night at the library. Over 24 candidates from around the state who all expressed the value of the event.”
“The second ‘Get Connected!’ event was a huge success thanks to the hard work of Greenville grassroots groups,” Tiffany Mauk, Co-Chair of Greenville Patriot Caucus, wrote following the event. “Many thanks to 98.9 WORD and all the candidates for coming out and meeting the public.”
The event promoted itself as a one-of-a-kind opportunity where voters could meet candidates from races appearing on the June 9th ballot while encouraging increased turnout and more informed voting across Greenville County.
Participating organizations included the Young Greenville Republican Club, Moms for Liberty of Greenville County, Palmetto Conservative Fund, Fourth Congressional District Club, Greenville Patriot Caucus, Greenville County Republican Women’s Club, Upstate Republican Women, and WORD 98.9 radio.
Nate Leupp, chairman of the Fourth Congressional District Club, said the event reflected growing cooperation among conservative organizations in the Upstate. “Multiple candidates and attendees commented on how refreshing it is to have so many unified conservative groups in Greenville working together with 98.9 WORD in a positive direction to the benefit of Republican voters,” Leupp said.
Tiffany Mauk said, “One woman told me she attended the first ‘Get Connected!’ event and enjoyed it so much that she brought her sister this time after hearing another one was being held.” She also reported that, “Even several of the candidates commented on how successful the event was and how much they appreciated the opportunity to meet voters directly.”
Kelly Wood, Chairman of the Greenville Patriot Caucus, said she was impressed by how far many campaigns went to rearrange their schedules in order to attend the event. “Some twisted themselves like a pretzel to make it,” Wood joked.
Candidates repeatedly told Wood and other organizers how valuable and important they believed these direct voter-engagement events were for both campaigns and the public, particularly because voters could interact with candidates one-on-one rather than through formal speeches or moderated forums. Organizers say the strong turnout and positive reception may encourage additional grassroots coalition events ahead of future elections.
Known Campaigns and Candidates in Attendance Included
Governor’s Race
- Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette
- Congressman Ralph Norman
- Attorney General Alan Wilson
- Rom Reddy
Attorney General Race
- Solicitor David Stumbo
U.S. Senate
- Mark Lynch
- Calvin Cowen
- Patrick Hermann
- Sen. Lindsey Graham
- Thomas Dismukes
Fourth Congressional District
- Congressman William Timmons
- David Atchley
- Robert E. Lee
South Carolina House Races
- Rep. Thomas Beach, District 10
- Rep. Dianne Mitchell, District 21
- Rep. Paul Wickensimer, District 22
- Heather Currie, District 21
Agriculture Commissioner Race
- Jeremy Cannon
- Danny Ford
- Cody Simpson
- Fred West
Greenville County Council
- Joe Dill, District 17
- John Ehlers, District 17
- Travis Forrester, District 17
- Rick Bradley, District 26
- Kyle Long, District 28
Attempted Sabotage from GCRP Chairman Jeff Davis Fails to Stop Event
Days before the event, Greenville County Republican Party Chairman Jeff Davis took it upon himself to send a formal complaint to Greenville County Library Executive Director Beverly James, questioning whether the “Get Connected!” event violated library policy.
Upon learning of the complaint, some Greenville County Republican Executive Committee members reportedly expressed frustration that Davis had acted without first consulting the full county executive committee before presenting the issue as an official concern of the local Republican Party.
Davis and his supporters may argue that the complaint simply raised a legitimate policy concern with library officials. However, organizers and several grassroots Republicans viewed the timing and tone of the complaint as an effort to interfere with a successful public candidate event.
The Greenville County Library policy prohibits charging “admission, registration, materials, or supplies” to attendees using library meeting space. Organizers maintain that the public was admitted entirely free of charge and that no money was collected from attendees during the event itself.
Instead, organizers said the candidate participation fee operated similarly to exhibitor or vendor costs commonly associated with political expos, candidate showcases, and civic engagement events. According to organizers, those funds helped offset expenses connected to refreshments, advertising, and event setup before the public gathering took place.
Many involved with the event interpreted the library policy as primarily designed to prevent charging the public admission fees, conducting fundraising solicitations directed at attendees, or operating commercial sales activities during use of library facilities. In this case, organizers emphasized that the public was never charged admission, the event remained fully open to attendees, and the candidate participation fees were handled beforehand as part of organizing the event rather than collected from the public during library use.
Ultimately, library officials did not shut down the event or cancel the reservation. The event proceeded as scheduled and drew a large turnout from both candidates and voters.
Library officials did, however, reportedly clarify to the organizers that the interpretation and intent also extend to any fundraising and collection of monies connected to events hosted at library facilities. Following that clarification, event organizers said they appreciated the professionalism and courtesy of the library staff and worked cooperatively to address any concerns related to candidate participation costs.
Davis has become widely known within Greenville County Republican politics for filing frivolous lawsuits and repeatedly using legal threats and court actions against political opponents and individuals who disagree with him politically. Because of that history, several grassroots activists and organizers involved with the event said they were not surprised Davis would attempt to intervene against fellow Republicans and conservative groups responsible for organizing one of the largest candidate engagement events of the primary season.
Critics within local Republican circles have increasingly argued that Davis’s leadership style and political tactics have damaged unity within the Greenville County Republican Party. Some conservative leaders described his approach as heavy-handed and politically destructive, particularly toward grassroots conservatives and independent Republican organizations operating outside his influence.
Despite what organizers described as an attempt to sow chaos and disunity around the event, the meeting ultimately demonstrated that Greenville’s conservative grassroots organizations are capable of operating successfully without Davis or his political interference.
Critics within Greenville County Republican politics argue that candidates who closely align their campaigns with Davis often suffer politically rather than benefit from the association, something some grassroots conservatives publicly describe as the “candidate’s kiss of death.” Those same conservatives believe Davis recognizes the growing decline of his political influence and, as a result, increasingly attempts to undermine conservative groups and grassroots coalitions that have proven successful at organizing voters and helping candidates build momentum outside of his control.
Grassroots Unity Highlighted
Several attendees described the event as an encouraging display of cooperation between conservative organizations despite what many attendees described as ongoing political harassment from Davis and his followers, who focused much of their political fire on fellow Republicans rather than Democrats.
In comments shared after the event, one organizer said the evening demonstrated that Greenville County conservatives remain capable of working together effectively and positively.
In South Carolina’s largest county, many local conservatives and longtime Republicans say they sense a growing shift taking place within the conservative movement. Despite policy disagreements and contested races, many candidates, organizers, and activists at the event appeared willing to engage one another respectfully while remaining united around broader conservative goals for Greenville County and South Carolina.
Some attendees described the event as evidence that a new level of grassroots cooperation and political energy is emerging across the Upstate. Others pointed to the increasing influence of conservative grassroots organizations and anti-establishment Republican activists who believe Greenville County could once again become the driving force behind a broader conservative movement within the South Carolina Republican Party.
Many conservatives across the state continue looking toward Greenville County for leadership, particularly as the Upstate has produced much of the momentum behind the growing South Carolina Freedom Caucus movement and other conservative legislative efforts in Columbia. With each election cycle, grassroots conservatives say they believe their influence within state Republican politics continues to expand despite what many grassroots conservatives view as entrenched establishment Republican control in Columbia.
Several attendees at the event suggested that recent battles inside the South Carolina Statehouse involving establishment Republican leadership, including disputes over House redistricting, closed primary elections, opposition to implementing aspects of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” at the state level, concerns surrounding energy and gas prices, and efforts to remove State Treasurer Curtis Loftis, these have only intensified the desire among grassroots conservatives to build stronger independent political coalitions outside traditional party leadership structures. Many pointed to organizations such as the South Carolina Freedom Caucus as evidence of a growing movement determined to challenge what they view as an increasingly disconnected Republican establishment.
In the end, despite attempts to undermine the occasion, the largest multi-candidate Republican event of South Carolina’s primary season was not remembered for controversy, complaints, or attempted interference. It was remembered for a crowded room, energized voters, candidates shaking hands, and conservatives from across the ballot standing together under one roof. Whatever happens next in Greenville County Republican politics, many who attended left believing they had witnessed the beginning of something far bigger than a single election cycle.
The message many conservative activists took home from Monday night was simple: while some leaders focus on controlling the movement, the grassroots is already building a new one.
