Simple Civics: Greenville County

In this Independence Day special, we hear from Diana Hoyos Lopez and Magda DeSantis, two immigrants whose personal stories embody the hope, struggle, and triumph of the American Dream. Diana's journey from an undocumented Mexican immigrant to a healthcare professional highlights the formidable barriers faced by students in similar circumstances. Her success, made possible by her drive and determin...

Today we talk about an important public health issue affecting Greenville County: fentanyl use and prevention. Senior Deputy Coroner Shelton England shares insights on local trends, interagency cooperation, and community education initiatives. Tune in to understand how our local government and health services are working together to address this challenge and how you can stay informed. _ Produced...

It’s election over time! Six races in the Greenville County 2024 primary are going on to a runoff of June 25th. This episode covers how runoffs work, who will be on the next ballot, how our turnout ended up in this important primary, and what’s next for our elections. _ Produced by  Podcast Studio X. Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of  Greater Good Greenville . Support Simple Civics...

It’s primary election day 2024! Voters have the responsibility of getting to the polls if they haven’t already, but there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes for election officials, candidates, and campaign volunteers. This episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look from pre-dawn to finalizing election results. On this episode we talk with John Michael Catalano, outreach and special projec...

Meet Dale Arterburn and Mike Ellis, candidates for Greenville County Coroner. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Dale Arterburn: https://www.daleforcoroner.com/ Mike Ellis: https://mikeelliscoroner.com/ Coroners Office: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Coroner/ S...

Meet Brice Garrett and Jay Gresham, candidates for Greenville County Clerk of Court. Also meet Mike Fortner and Hobart Lewis, candidates for Greenville County Sheriff. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Clerk of Court Links: Brice Garrett: https://brice-garrett.com/ Jay...

Meet Michelle Goodwin-Calwile, candidate for South Carolina Senate District 7, which generally represents Pleasant Valley, Belle Meade, West Greenville, Downtown Greenville, Nicholtown, and some of Sans Souci. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. This race also features c...

Meet Jason Elliott, candidate for South Carolina Senate District 6. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. This race also features candidates Ben Carper and Dan Nickles, but they did not respond to our many invitations to participate. Links: Jason Elliott: https://www.votej...

Meet Troy Prosser, Daniel Rumfelt, and Kerri Smith, candidates for South Carolina House of Representatives District 28. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. This race also features candidates Chris Huff and Allen Kellett, but they did not respond to our many invitations t...

Meet Wendell Jones, candidate for South Carolina House of Representatives District 25. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. This race also features candidate Bruce Wilson, but he did not respond to our many invitations to participate. Links: Wendell Jones: https://www.wen...

Meet Paul Wickensimer, candidate for South Carolina House of Representatives District 22. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. This race also features candidate Stan Tzouvelekas, but he did not respond to our many invitations to participate. Links: Paul Wickensimer: https...

Meet Sarah Curran and Stephen Frank, candidates for South Carolina House of Representatives District 20, generally representing the Taylors area. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Sarah Curran: https://www.votesarahcurran.com/ Stephen Frank: https://www.facebook...

Meet Patrick Haddon and Nate Marcionette, candidates for South Carolina House of Representatives District 19, generally representing Berea and Western Greenville County. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Patrick Haddon: https://www.facebook.com/HaddonforHouse/ N...

Meet Tramaine Booker and Alan Morgan, candidates for South Carolina House of Representatives District 18, generally representing northeastern Greenville County, including Greer. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Tramaine Booker: https://bookerforschouse.com/ Ala...

Meet Tom Bates and Mike Burns, candidates for South Carolina House of Representatives District 17, generally representing northern Greenville County. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Tom Bates: https://www.batesforhouse.com Mike Burns: https://www.scstatehouse....

Meet Garey Collins and Butch Kirven, candidates for Greenville County Council District 27, generally representing the Simpsonville area. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Garey Collins: www.collinsfor27.com Butch Kirven: www.butchkirven.com Sample Ballot:  www.s...

Meet Ennis Fant, Derrick Quarles, and Lisa Sweeney, candidates for Greenville County Council District 25, generally representing the Augusta Road areas of Pleasant Valley and Belle Meade. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Patrick Prince has also filed to run, but he di...

Meet Frank Farmer, Ethan Jedziniak, Jay Rogers, and Nia Thomas, candidates for Greenville County Council District 22, generally representing North Main, Wade Hampton in and near the city of Greenville, the north side of I-385, and Pelham Road out to Boiling Springs Road. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a l...

Meet Chris Harrison and Curt McGahhey, candidates for Greenville County Council District 21, generally representing the east side, including the Parkway, Batesville Road, Garlington, and Roper Mountain Road. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Chris Harrison: http...

Meet Ken Matesevac and Alex Reynolds, candidates for Greenville County Council District 20, generally representing the Taylors area and some of Travelers Rest. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Also running is incumbent Steve Shaw, but after scheduling for an interview...

Meet Mike Barnes and Kelly Long, candidates for Greenville County Council District 18, generally representing the Greer area. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Links: Mike Barnes: https://www.facebook.com/VoteMikeBarnes/ Kelly Long: https://votekellylong.com/ Sample Ba...

Have you ever wondered about the special purpose districts that operate behind the scenes in South Carolina? In this episode, we sit down with C.D. Rhodes to shine a light on these little-known but vitally important entities. From fire protection to water and sewer services, special purpose districts play a crucial role in our communities - but their origins and operations remain a mystery to most...

37 candidates have filed to run in June 11th primary races touching Greenville County, SC for offices like County Council to Sheriff to state House, Senate, and Congress. Almost HALF of them will have no competition in November, meaning your primary votes are tremendously important. But in 2022, only 14% of voters turned out in the primary. This episode runs through some of the details around our...

Are you curious to learn how South Carolina's counties evolved into the local governments we know today? In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the groundbreaking Home Rule Act with special guest C.D. Rhodes, a partner at Pope Flynn and a leading authority on local government powers. Discover how the events of 1973 and 1975 drastically reshaped the political landscape, shifting power from st...

Ever wondered how cities grow? In this episode, we explore annexation in South Carolina with Scott Slatton, an expert from the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Scott breaks down the process, benefits, and challenges of annexation, sharing insights about donut holes, land use, and the tug-of-war between rural and urban interests. Join us for an engaging look at the little-understood but cru...