CHARLESTON, OCT. 12 – Every couple of years, more than 500,000 candidates are elected to positions in state legislatures, county and municipal governments, school districts, and special districts of all kinds: fire, water, library, conservation among them.
Some 350,000 of them are elected not as Republicans or Democrats, but as independents, non-partisan candidates without a tie to a specific political party. But do they govern any differently than their partisan counterparts?
This will be the focus of a Thursday, Oct. 15 8 p.m. ET webcast, as three elected officials, each with some level of independent credentials, discuss “How Independents Govern Differently.” Organized by the South Carolina Forward Party, this webcast episode is the final installment of a three-part series exploring the phenomenon of America’s Independent Voter.
Featured speakers include:
- Jay Doyle, Mayor of Georgetown SC. Doyle ran and was elected as a Forward Party candidate in November 2024, winning resoundingly over a one-term Republican opponent. Doyle’s focus since winning office has been restoring the economy of Georgetown, SC’s third oldest city, after the business closure of two of the city’s major employers.
- Dr. Jermaine Johnson is a “different kind of Democrat,” elected to the SC House of Representatives from a district in Richland and Kershaw counties. First elected in 2021, Johnson has sponsored legislation permitting ranked-choice voting in municipal elections; providing penalties for obstructing an election or intimidating an election worker; increasing salaries for special education teachers; and providing access to data from body-worn cameras for an accused
- Bob Perls is a former Democratic New Mexico State Representative and former U.S. Diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, currently serving as HonoraryConsul for Germany in New Mexico. He was also a serial entrepreneur in the healthcare, cyber security and renewables fields. He was first elected to the legislature in 1993, ran for Congress and for the Public Regulation Commission, which regulated utilities. He passed legislation establishing charter schools, reforming Conflict-of-interest policies and putting in place term limits. He founded New Mexico Open Election, the main advocacy group working to pass the new open primaries bill successfully. He is currently the chairman of the New Mexico Forward Party.
The webcast will be moderated by Ellen Hayward, of Coastal Carolina University. Those interested in viewing can RSVP at
https://www.southcarolinaforwardparty.com/705/how_would_independents_govern_differently to obtain a link to the webcast. Previous episodes may be viewed on YouTube, at
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
