Anonymous flyers are attacking a candidate for mayor of Cayce, South Carolina – a town of approximately 13,700 people located just across the Congaree River from the state capitol of Columbia.
The flyers – which bear a Greenville, S.C. postmark – accused candidate Abbott “Tre” Bray of being racist and sexist, among other things. Bray is challenging veteran Cayce mayor Elise Partin – who has served as mayor of the municipality since 2008. Bray and Partin are the only two announced candidates for this post.
The flyer in question features a picture of one of Bray’s campaign signs juxtaposed against an assortment of images – including one from the dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale – suggesting he is rabidly ultra-conservative. The collection of images is referred to, collectively, as “The ‘I don’t like it when you call me racist/ sexist/ hateful even though I support racist/ sexist/ hateful politics’ starter kit.”
Take a look …
(Click to view)
Stickers with similar messages have also been affixed to Bray’s campaign signs.
In a message posted to his supporters on social media, Bray – a local school board member – said he was “sorry they’re targeting each of you for being tired (and) wanting change after fifteen years and for being tired of your taxes doubling.”
Bray also said he was “sorry they are generalizing that all conservatives are racist or sexist.”
Bray encouraged anyone with information about “who may have been behind the disparaging mailers or stickers” to contact the election fraud public reporting hotline established by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – or email the agency directly at [email protected].
(Click to view)
“I will not apologize for being a young conservative – and I won’t apologize for being Christian,” Bray said. “Let me be extremely clear for anyone who doesn’t know me personally. I will love and fight for everyone in Cayce regardless of their beliefs or who you vote for. At the end of the day, the only way we can move forward together is to disagree better.”
Disagree better … I like that.
Bray and Partin have had plenty of disagreements during the course of their campaign – especially as it relates to the issue of public safety. Bray has accused Partin of being soft on crime in the municipality, citing statewide stats – while Partin has fired back with internal city statistics showing what she claims is a dramatic reduction in most categories of crime from 2021 to 2022.
The two candidates have also sparred over the uptick in homelessness in the greater Columbia area, which has spilled over into Cayce’s Riverwalk – part of the Midlands’ Three Rivers Greenway.
Bray wants to address these issues by expanding the city’s police force – making the area safe for mixed-use developments that attract better retail and restaurant options.
Early voting for this seat – and a pair of seats on Cayce’s city council – began on October 23, 2023. Election day is set for next Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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