North Augusta GOP primary for city council is Tuesday

Tuesday is the Republican primary for three open seats on the North Augusta City Council.

The GOP candidates are Bob Brooks, an incumbent and the city’s retired Parks and Recreation director; Kevin Toole, a commercial loan officer with SRP Federal Credit Union; Eric Presnell, the vice president of Aiken Augusta Electric and Security; and Michael Pace, the owner of Mountaineer Pest Services whose application to expand his business was denied by the council last year.

The three highest vote-getters will face three candidates from the Constitution Party, which made a first foray into North Augusta politics this year, on the April 30 general election ballot for the three seats.

The primary is “open,” meaning any registered North Augusta voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation.

Constitution Party President Ken Powell said he expects some supporters to participate in the GOP primary.

"I think some of them probably will vote in the GOP primary. It might a strategy they are taking. They might like one of the other four," Powell said.

Voters need to know their precinct number to determine which of 11 consolidated polling locations to use. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A valid ID is required, or voters can cast a provisional ballot. The North Augusta Election Commission will rule on the validity of provisional ballots at an 11 a.m. meeting Thursday.

The South Carolina Election Commission has a website where voters can look up their voting precinct.

Opening consolidated polling locations is a change from the GOP primary in 2017, when all residents voted at Riverview Park. The local GOP is permitted by South Carolina election laws to consolidate polling places within a certain radius, with a goal of keeping costs down, Mayor Bob Pettit said.

Pettit predicted between 1,500 and 2,000 of the city’s registered voters will turn out for the primary. That would be between 10 percent and 13 percent of the approximately 16,000 registered voters the city reported having in 2017. In the February 2017 primary for Pettit’s seat and the council, some 18 percent of registered voters turned out.

NAME: Bob Brooks

AGE: 69

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, Clemson University

OCCUPATION: Retired director of North Augusta Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services; elected to North Augusta council in 2015

NAME: Michael Pace

AGE: 40

EDUCATION: High school

OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur and president of Mountaineer Pest Control Services

NAME: Eric Presnell

AGE: 42

EDUCATION: Aiken Technical College; licensed electrical and alarm contractor

OCCUPATION: Vice president of Aiken Augusta Electric and Security

NAME: Kevin W. Toole

AGE: 44

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in political science, USC Aiken

OCCUPATION: Commercial loan officer, SRP Federal Credit Union

Candidates in the North Augusta GOP primary