NEWBERRY — Chad Connelly, a Prosperity native and candidate for South Carolina’s Fifth District seat in the U.S. Congress, held a campaign rally at Memorial Park in downtown Newberry on Friday.
The rally was the last of eight stops and part of Connelly’s kickoff district tour after he announced his congressional bid last Monday.
More than 100 people attended Friday’s rally. The Rev. Albert Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church of Newberry, delivered the invocation, followed by an introduction by Newberry Mayor Foster Senn.
Senn said that Connelly’s ability, experience, and compassion would serve his constituents well in Congress.
“Chad has a good heart,” said Senn. “From the unborn to the senior citizen, Chad’s going to care and fight for that individual, and for the people of the fifth congressional district. Chad’s got a good heart and cares. We will be proud of that.”
The mayor also remarked that the last Newberry County native to serve in Congress was Rep. Frederick Haskell Dominick, born in Peak in 1877. Dominick served eight terms in Congress from 1917-1933.
“I think it’s gonna be neat and good for Newberry County to have a congressman, but more important than that, having Chad Connelly as a congressman will be good for the 10 counties of the fifth congressional district, it will be good for South Carolina, and it will be good for our country,” Senn added.
“I believe (the American people) have the right to insist, and even demand, for conservative reform in our nation,” Connelly said. “We’ve got to get back to constitutional, conservative, common sense, and yes, I believe, Christian reform in our nation, to get it back to what works.”
Connelly also stated his support for 12-year term limits, reducing government spending and debt, strengthening the military, and cutting government regulation of business.
“(Chad has) overcome tragedy and adversity nearly every step of the way, and his example is a living testimony to me, and I for one am tremendously thankful that we have a man like Chad Connelly running for Congress today,” said Cole Lawrimore, chairman of the Newberry County Republican Party.
State Rep. Rick Martin, Sheriff Lee Foster and County Councilman Scott Cain, were also in attendance.
Connelly is one of six candidates to announce campaigns for the U.S. House seat recently vacated by Mick Mulvaney, who was confirmed to be director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget last Thursday.
The special election to fill Mulvaney’s spot will take place in the next 18 weeks, with primaries scheduled for May 2, primary runoff for May 16, if necessary, and the general election set for June 20. The fifth congressional district the eastern side of Newberry County, up to Rock Hill, and over to Sumter.
