Wyatt Miler filed to run for the Senate District 5 seat being vacated by Phil Shoopman. Miler's filing makes it a three-person race.
Corbin, a first-term representative from Travelers Rest and, Miler, a businessman from Greer, entered the race this week when the South Carolina Republican Party announced it was re-opening filing for 48 hours. That filing closed today at noon.
Corbin filed Monday afternoon and Miler Tuesday. Petty Poe, Greenville County Republican Party Chairwoman, delivered the new candidates’ filings to Columbia at 4 p.m. today.
Somers, who filed during the original filing period which ended March 20, announced today in an e-mail, she is “seeking an injunction to enjoin the South Carolina Election Commission from accepting any illegal candidate filings and to learn from neutral arbitrary if the re-opening of candidate filing is in line with all candidate filing laws and not just section 7-11-15.”
The section of the South Carolina Code of Laws states: “If, after the closing of the time for filing statements of intention of candidacy, there are not more than two candidates for any one office and one or more of the candidates dies, or withdraws, the state or county committee, as the case may be, if the nomination is by political party primary or political party convention only may, in its discretion, afford opportunity for the entry of other candidates for the office involved; however, for the office of State House of Representatives or State Senator, the discretion must be exercised by the state committee.”
The SCGOP Executive Committee held an emergency meeting Tuesday night where it unanimously ratified SCGOP Chairman Chad Connelly's decision to re-opening candidate filing in State Senate District 5.
Somers countered by asking the executive committee to investigate “this matter and deem whether or not the re-opening of the filing date is in compliance with electoral rules.”
"I am treating this election process the same way I do all business and personal decisions I make,” Somers said. “I am neither a lawyer nor a politician and I need a deeper understanding and a clear definition of the law. I feel that in taking this course of action is a part of the due diligence needed to have a full and accurate understanding of the process. My ultimate goal is to serve the members of my community and as a hopeful future lawmaker that all laws and processes are followed as written. As the current situation stands, I am not clear as to whether or not that is the case."
Corbin, 47, from Travelers Rest, is a first-term House of Representatives member. A special election will be held if Corbin wins the Senate seat. He is married and has two children.
Miler, 40, said he filed when he learned Shoopman wasn’t going to run. He did not know when he filed Tuesday that Corbin had filed a day earlier. Miler launched his facebook page at 1 p.m. and said his Web site is being established.
“My decision to run for the open District 5 seat was to provide a new voice for the people of Greenville County. I will work to reduce burdensome regulations that are hindering the growth of our employers, to reduce taxes and keep a balanced budget," Miler said.
“There are a lot of issues in South Carolina and nationally. In politics everything begins and ends with the citizens,” Miler said. Taxes and the state’s infrastructure are two platforms that Miler said he would campaign.
Somers is co-owner of SSI Physical Therapy in Greer.
The District 5 winner of the June 12 primary will be unopposed in the November general election. Should Corbin win, a special election will be held for his vacant house seat.