An Interview with Stephen Kohn: Candidate for South Carolina House District 98

By Gray Somerville, Dorchester County Democratic Party Communications Director

The most important election facing Dorchester County Democrats over the next three months is the special election for SC House District 98 (see DCDP’s 2025 Election Guide for details), and three Democrats are competing for the party’s nomination in the November 4 primary: Damian Daly (no website), Stephen Kohn, and Dr. Sonja Ogletree Satani.

I sat down virtually with Stephen Kohn  for a one-on-one interview on September 30th. Following are summary impressions I gathered from that conversation followed by a lightly edited transcript that captures the substance of the interview. To listen to the entire conversation, go to https://www.dorchesterdemocrats.com/interview-stephen-kohn.

Candidate Profile

Stephen Kohn is a real estate broker and military veteran running for SC House District 98 with a focus on practical, results-oriented leadership. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Stephen served eight years in the U.S. Air Force in security forces and contracting before transitioning to civil service and eventually opening his own real estate brokerage in 2020. He currently serves as president-elect of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors and manages a team of over 400 agents as a market center team leader for Keller Williams.

Stephen has been actively engaged in community service, serving on the founding board of Lowcountry Youth Services (formerly Distinguished Gentlemen's Club), the Big Brothers Big Sisters Board, and currently serves on the board of the Lincolnville Preservation and Historic Society. He has lived in District 98 since 2018 and has witnessed firsthand the challenges facing the district, particularly traffic congestion on Dorchester Road.

A doctoral candidate in leadership at Charleston Southern University, Stephen's research focuses on the intersection of mental health and housing stability. He emphasizes three core pillars: roads and infrastructure, education, and quality of life (which encompasses housing, mental health, and community safety). Stephen positions himself as a bridge builder who can reach across the aisle to find common ground on issues that affect all constituents, regardless of party affiliation.

Key Strengths

Based solely on this interview, here are some of the key strengths I observed:

• Military and Leadership Experience: Stephen's eight years of Air Force service, including work in contracting and appropriations, provides him with valuable experience in fiscal responsibility, leadership development, and understanding how government functions. His background in obligating and stewarding taxpayer dollars directly translates to legislative work.

• Real Estate Expertise: As a practicing real estate broker and developer who has completed ten redevelopment projects, Stephen brings practical, hands-on knowledge of housing issues, zoning, permitting, financing, and development. This expertise is particularly relevant given that housing affordability is a top concern for voters.

• Community Engagement: Stephen has demonstrated commitment to community service through board positions with youth mentoring organizations, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and historic preservation efforts in Lincolnville. His work with the Lowcountry Youth Services and support for preserving Black history shows dedication to diverse community needs.

• Academic Credentials: As a doctoral candidate researching the connection between mental health and housing stability, Stephen brings a research-based, data-driven approach to policymaking that could strengthen Democratic arguments in the legislature.

• Concrete Policy Proposals: Stephen articulated specific policy proposals including expanding Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) at the state level, creating density bonus options for affordable housing, streamlining permitting processes, and accelerating funding for the Dorchester Road expansion.

• Strategic Campaign Approach: Stephen has raised more money than any other Democratic candidate and commits 21 hours per week to campaigning. He has clear vote targets and focuses on door-knocking, voter registration, and building relationships across the district.

• Bridge-Building Philosophy: Stephen's emphasis on collaboration over competition, finding common ground, and reaching across the aisle could be valuable in a super-minority situation. His approach focuses on incremental wins and building coalitions around shared concerns like traffic and veteran issues.

Summary Analysis

Stephen Kohn presents himself as a practical, purpose-driven candidate who combines military discipline, real estate expertise, and academic research to address the pressing issues facing District 98. His emphasis on bridge-building and finding common ground, while maintaining core Democratic values, offers a strategic approach to serving in a super-minority legislature.

Democratic voters will need to weigh his considerable professional qualifications and specific policy proposals against the relative strengths and weaknesses of the other two Democratic candidates who are running in the primary. His commitment to devoting significant time to both campaigning and serving, combined with his track record of community involvement, demonstrates serious intent to represent District 98 with integrity and results-oriented leadership.

The Dorchester County Democratic Party encourages all members to carefully review this interview, attend candidate forums, and participate actively in the November 4th primary election. With three Democrats competing for this seat, the primary will determine who carries the party's banner into the special election. Stephen’s combination of lived experience, professional expertise, and proven community leadership makes him a compelling candidate worthy of serious consideration as Democrats work to represent District 98's values and priorities in Columbia.

The Interview

Gray: All right, Stephen, thank you so much for sitting down for this interview. Let's get started with some basic biographical information. Where did you grow up?

Stephen: I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. We moved to St. Mary's, Georgia when I was about 13, and I graduated from Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia, before coming to Charleston.

Gray: Tell me about your family.

Stephen: My parents both live in Jacksonville. I have two younger sisters—one on my mom's side and one on my dad's side. I'm married with three kids: two 19-year-olds and a 10-year-old.

Gray: What's your line of work, Stephen?

Stephen: I'm a real estate broker. I've been a broker owner for five to six years and serve as one of the market center team leaders for Keller Williams Greater Charleston. I'm also the president-elect of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.

Gray: How did you come to that line of work?

Stephen: Through the military. I joined the Air Force in 2006 at age 18, fresh out of high school. I served eight years before a medical retirement in 2014. I started in security forces, doing a lot of back-office work and developing leadership skills at a very early age.

Then I retrained into contracting because I wanted more challenge. I learned about the obligation and appropriation of funds, and how to steward taxpayer dollars to make them go further for our mission. After leaving the military in 2014, I went into civil service doing essentially the same work—first at the Naval Health Clinic for about a year and a half, then at SPAWAR for the Department of the Navy for about five years. I did six years of civil service total until 2020 when I opened my real estate brokerage.

Gray: Prior to running for office, were you engaged in the community as a volunteer?

Stephen: Yes. I've served on the board of directors for Lowcountry Youth Services—formerly Distinguished Gentlemen's Club, a youth mentoring program. I was on the founding board for four years. I also served a three-year term on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Board.

I love connecting with youth because they are our future, but we have to make sure they're prepared for this changing world. Through my real estate brokerage, we've supported the Lowcountry Food Bank and Water Mission. Most recently, I've been working with the town of Lincolnville on preservation efforts. I serve on the board of the Lincolnville Preservation and Historic Society to help preserve their Black history as the town faces rapid changes.

Gray: What's your connection with District 98? How long have you lived in the district?

Stephen: I've been living within this district since 2018. I live in Coosaw Creek. We moved from Spencer Creek Woods off of Ladson Road. We moved there in 2018, so I lived in Charleston since 2009. I was stationed here in Charleston in 2009. I got stationed in Texas in 2012, so I left for about two years, and then we came back in 2014. But I got into the district seven years ago.

And my connection here—I always tell people, in 2009, I had no idea what the district was or anything like that. But I've been utilizing Dorchester Road from Ladson Road for years, since 2009. Had no idea that was this district. So I personally have gone through the changes and challenges there going to and from my military work, and then also just me being a civilian. My son went to Joseph Pye Elementary, which is in the district as well. My niece goes to these schools too, so the connection is absolutely here, and I've been here for seven years and just been really attending our HOA, POA meetings and things like that. I've had a pretty good connection with some of the elected officials around. Dr. Charmaine Palmer-Roberts, I helped her around here with her campaign and that type of stuff, so it's been good stuff.

Gray: What inspired you to run in this particular race?

Stephen: A couple of things. I would say, first of all, I just really believe that leadership is not about politics, it's about people. And I've been committed to serving my country, and committed to service in general since I turned 18. I've always been trying to figure out, hey, what is a way that I can impact more people? How do I get to that next level of impact and impact more people, and not just impacting them in a way of personal gain. It's how can we create a better community and pull resources together and make resources not just available, but accessible? Because equity is a huge issue within our time just now, in general.

I've done a lot of diversity, equity and inclusion work. I actually started our DEI program at the Realtor Association because I know how to speak up. I don't just sit around and watch things happen. I raise my hand, pull up my sleeves, and get to work, because there are things that absolutely need to be changed, but we have to have somebody that's bold and courageous enough to raise their hand and say I'll take the lead. And that's who I am at my core.

I actually wrote and published a book called Unleash Your Purpose and it just dropped this last May, because I do believe that politics—and not just politics, but I would say right now it's about alignment, and it's about purpose. We need to be in places where people are called to serve, and that's my thing. I'm not just running for office, it's not about chasing the title, but it's about answering the call to serve.

I've spent my life building communities through real estate. Ten years in the industry, I've sold and overseen over 3,000 transactions easily, creating pathways to home ownership, advocating for affordable housing through our legislative efforts and our realtor champions at the State House. I've worked on housing policy stuff. We're doing a Missing Middle study with the Realtor Association.

I'm also a doctoral candidate at Charleston Southern University for a doctorate in leadership. It's an education degree, and my doctoral research is on essentially how housing stability affects mental health. So my life has been devoted to service, and I believe that it's the right time for me to step into that next level of leadership.

Gray: As you know, Democrats are generally losing ground in statewide elections. South Carolina Democrats have lost nearly 25% of their state house seats in the past 12 years. Given that context, how exactly do you plan to win District 98?

Stephen: Yes, the numbers are the numbers. However, numbers change. Times change. Seasons change. I don't see these statistics as negative—I see them as a baseline, an opportunity to leverage and grow. Failure is a data point, not an identity. It shouldn't define the Democratic Party either. We use these things as tools to step to the next level.

How? By building a strong ground game and micro-targeting. Our messaging matters. If we come from a standpoint of being good humans—we know who we are. We have purpose and dignity, and those things will yield results if we unify our voice and get back to the basics of what our country was founded on. We need to get back to being good human beings. People know right from wrong.

We're brought here for a reason and a purpose. As long as we're in alignment and doing the right thing, we cannot get weary. We have to persevere because we will get victory.

We need to focus on the issues that matter most—the economic issues hurting people's pockets and preventing them from achieving their American dream. The American dream is not accessible for everybody right now. College graduates entering the workforce are struggling. We need to focus on economic issues that hit home.

My three pillars are roads and infrastructure, education, and quality of life. Quality of life is the most important because it contains so much—housing, mental health, community safety. If we focus on getting back to the basics and what our country was truly founded on, we will overcome and win this special election.

Gray: Let's drill into your funding. What are your funding goals for this campaign? How much money do you need to win?

[NOTE: Dollar figures and voter turnout figures have been intentionally overwritten.]

Stephen: My funding target is $XXXXX for the primary and $XXXXX for the general—about $XXXXX total.

Gray: How much have you raised so far?

Stephen: We've raised $XXXXX so far.

Gray: How do you plan to close the gap?

Stephen: By getting out and reaching back out to people who said they will donate. We've reached out to my personal contacts and various organizations. Some have delayed due to the potential government shutdown. I've been hitting the phones, emails, doing the work. My team is behind me, reaching out to their networks as well. We need our supporters of the Democratic Party to believe in change, believe in something new, and donate to help make that a reality.

Gray: How much time are you able to devote to your campaign each week, on average?

Stephen: My campaign is so important—not just for me personally, but because I love people. I've been devoting at least three hours a day, so about 21 hours a week, including weekends. I'm out door knocking on Saturdays, making calls in the mornings, and attending council meetings. I really care about what people are going through and want to help provide solutions. Even if we can't get something done immediately, I want to work together to strategize how we can accomplish it next session or find a happy medium. There's a lot more common ground we can cover that will bring relief to families.

Gray: Where is that time going?

Stephen: About 40% is reaching out to people and delegates asking for funding support. Another 40% is door knocking and getting out to the voters. The remaining 20% is attending meetings, speaking at churches and different organizations, and showing up where needed. I've been focused on meeting the voters, making sure people are registered to vote, and helping neighbors get their registration paperwork done before deadlines.

Gray: Walk me through the numbers. How many votes do you need to win this race, and how do you plan to get them?

Stephen: Our goal is XXXXX votes. We feel if we can get XXXX votes, that's our number. Honestly, that's also my goal for the primary. If we can do great in the primary, we can do even better in the general.

What I'm finding is that some people don't even know there is a special election or that there are other candidates. I want them to know they have a choice. America is about freedom of choice—that's our democracy. I want people to understand they have a choice and can make a solid decision based on who they're aligned with regarding goals and values. We have strong foundational principles. We're not playing dirty—we're doing the right thing, being good human beings, and setting that example.

Gray: Do you have any special events planned that our members should know about?

Stephen: At this moment, we don't have any special events coming up. We're attending where special events are, like a jazz conference this Saturday, October 4th. Right now, we're looking to fill our calendars, so if voters know of something already planned, please send it to us so we can get it on my schedule. I would love to support community events.

Gray: Democrats are now a super minority in the South Carolina state legislature, which means every Democrat elected has to fight harder and smarter to protect democratic values at the state level. What does fighting for democratic values mean to you in this context? What would define success if you were in office?

Stephen: I completely understand we're the super minority, but I've been a super minority my entire life. I've been fighting my entire life for this exact thing, so I feel closely aligned to it because I have the lived experience. Just because we're a super minority doesn't mean our values can't shape policy. The things we stand for as a Democratic Party—equity, dignity, opportunity, fairness—we can expand upon and bring to the legislature.

I think it's a three-way approach. First, build a coalition. In the military, we bring everybody together, make sure the right people with the right skill sets are in the right room. I feel like decisions are often made without the expertise in the room. Because I have real estate practice and practical knowledge for over ten years, plus leadership perspective, I completely understand how property taxes, affordable housing opportunities, and developments truly impact consumers. That would make a huge difference.

Second, we build coalitions across common ground—the things we actually agree on. Roads, infrastructure, veterans issues—I'm a service-disabled veteran myself—small business growth. These aren't just GOP or Democrat problems. These are community problems. Everybody sits in traffic on Dorchester Road, whether you're Republican or Democrat. If we can build coalitions around these common issues and bring the right people together to solve them, that's how we begin to tackle harder issues.

I want to amplify the voices of people in our district who feel unseen or feel like their voice isn't heard. Tell stories from the voters themselves about their issues. And not just doing these things, but following up—making sure voters understand their voice was heard and what happened as a result. We need to share the wins through town halls and community meetings.

Every organization I've been part of has had a strategic plan. Where's our strategic plan for the district? I would love to bring that. I'm getting a doctorate in leadership—my thing is taking people from A to B and developing the plan to get there. I'd love to develop a strategic plan for House District 98 that could be a model to other districts.

Lastly, celebrate the small wins that add up. We might not pass sweeping legislation, but we can secure funding for mental health services in schools, expand access to affordable housing, or increase transparency and accountability in government. If we have incremental wins, those things start to add up. My approach is about leading with purpose, building coalitions and bridges where possible, and standing firm where necessary. If it's our core value, I need to stand firm in that. That's how we fight for democratic values, even in the super minority—not by shouting louder, but by being more strategic, more connected, and more relentless in serving the people. I've been fighting my entire life for this exact same thing, and so I feel actually more closely aligned to it, because I understand, and I've lived it. I have the lived experience of being the super minority. So I think it's just business as usual.

The couple things that I've done, because I realized that just because we're a super minority doesn't mean that our values can't really shape policy, right? The things I stand for, and things that we stand for as a Democratic Party—equity, dignity, opportunity, fairness—these are things that we can really expand upon and build upon and bring to the legislature as well.

I think it's a three-way approach. One, I build a coalition. In the military, we bring everybody together. Whatever specialties you have, make sure the right people are in the right room. It's identifying and discerning and making sure that we have the right skill sets at the table as well. I feel like a lot of times we're making decisions, or decisions are being made without the expertise in the room. And because I have the real estate practice, the practical knowledge for over 10 years, and from a leadership perspective as well, I completely understand how property taxes and affordable housing opportunities and developments, how these things truly impact the consumer, and what that truly means. I think that would make a huge difference.

We build a coalition across the common ground, the things where we actually agree on—roads, infrastructure, veterans issues. I'm a service-disabled veteran myself. Small business growth. These aren't necessarily GOP or Republican issues or even just our problems. These are community problems. Everybody sits in traffic on Dorchester Road, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, right? These are everybody's issues, and so if we can build a coalition around these common issues and bring the right people together to solve them, I think that's how we begin to tackle some of the harder issues.

I do want to make sure that I amplify the voices of the people in our district who really feel unseen or feel like their voice isn't heard, be able to tell stories from the voters themselves about their issues. And then also, not just doing these things, but following up. Following up with the voters and making sure they understand and know that their voice was heard, and here's what happened as a result of that. And we need to share the wins. Come back to the district, having town halls, talk to the districts about, hey, here's what's going on, what's your perspective on it. And then following up, again, getting back to strategizing.

In organizations, every organization I've been a part of, we've always had a strategic plan. Where's our strategic plan for the district? I would love to bring that. I'm getting a doctorate in leadership. My thing is taking people from A to B, right, and developing that plan to get there. So I'd love to develop a strategic plan for House District 98, and not just the district, but something that we can formulate and be a model to other districts as well, because we have to know where we're going. We have to have a purpose for why we're here, but we gotta know how we're gonna get to that next level, and what does success look like if we don't define it?

So yeah, building coalitions, amplifying our voices, and then lastly, celebrating the small wins that truly add up. We might not pass sweeping legislation, per se, but we can secure funding for, let's say, mental health services in schools, or expanded access to affordable housing, or more transparency and accountability in government. We can do those things, right? And so if we have some incremental wins, those things will start to add up.

So I think my approach really is just about leading with purpose, building coalitions and building bridges where possible, where it makes sense, and then standing firm where necessary, not bending. If it's our core value, it's our core value, and I need to stand firm in that. That's how we fight for our true democratic values, even in the super minority. Not by shouting louder—it's not about who's the loudest, but who's more strategic and more connected and more relentless in serving the people.

Gray: The state legislature is in session between mid-January to mid-May, roughly 4 months, and the House meets basically 3 days per week. On top of that, you have committee work, constituent services, and campaigning for re-election. Overall, you're looking at a commitment of over 500 hours a year for this part-time job. How will you make the time to do this work?

Stephen: I feel like it's the right time for me to do this because I've been supported by my organization. I'm a real estate broker with a staff that can operate without me, so I can oversee and lead from afar. This is important to me as one of my core values.

Business-wise, I've made the necessary adjustments to step away. I've already started stepping away and delegating—something I learned in the military. Family-wise, I'm married with kids, but my wife is a strong supporter. She believes in me, in us, and in the fight. We're making the sacrifices needed to ensure I can be the voice for our people in Columbia during those 500 hours.

This isn't something I just threw my name into the hat for this year. I've been thinking about this for about four years and preparing to get to this level. All of my business and strategic moves have been planned to ensure I have enough time to devote to this, because of its importance. Especially right now when people are hurting even more than four years ago, I feel the passion and purpose behind it, and I know it will lead me to making the right service commitments.

Gray: Very good. So, now let's talk about the fighting smarter part of the equation. Given the super minority status of Democrats in the State House, how would you defend and advance Democratic values when Republicans have the votes? And why don't we focus in on—it's very much on people's minds—the S232, I think it is, the total abortion ban. What do you do in a situation like that?

Stephen: Yeah, I think it goes back to building that coalition on common ground, for sure, but I think we amplify people's stories, not the party's rhetoric. I think we get to some human issue, actual lived experiences, and tell the story. I always say, like, research gives you evidence, and it would help give me evidence as well, and I know how to do research and make sure that we have the numbers, because people can fight against opinions, but the data is the data. The numbers are the numbers, right?

And so I think my real estate background and negotiating, my negotiating skills in real estate over 10 years, helps give me that leverage to connect with those on the other side and find a way to reach across the aisle and make a difference for the masses. That, again, I think that will help make sure that our voices are heard.

And again, I do believe that we have to make sure that we leverage our unique strengths. My unique strengths—hey, I have a veteran background, trust, patriotism, discipline. I'm a housing leader. I have a credible voice on smart growth and affordability, again, what that really means. I've risen to the top, per se, in real estate leadership that could be connected to strong business policy network, those type of things. And then, of course, I'm a doctoral candidate, right? So data-driven policymaking is at the core of what I'm looking to do, and that's what I feel we would be able to, or at least I would be able to connect with some of those people across the party lines and make a difference.

I think we—again, I talked about winning—making the small incremental wins. Those things matter just as much. Instead of chasing sweeping wins that we know won't pass, hey, let's aim for a few small things, because small things move the needle, too. Again, we talked about funding for school mental health counselors, or local flood and drainage improvements. Those type of things, expansion of affordable housing credit programs and things of that sort, transparency measures and ethics reforms, those type of things that we can add on, or at least get in, so that we don't lose everything. We have to have something in there.

So again, I think my biggest approach to making that smart growth and reaching across the aisle would really be to be a bridge builder. I don't really believe in gridlock. I believe in results. I think that we can get to results if we come to a common ground. And then I always say, we have to lead with purpose. So it's not red and blue, it's about what's right and wrong. And so, although we might be outnumbered, we don't have to be outworked or outsmarted. And so I believe that if I outwork, if I get the rest of the minority legislature, and we outwork and outsmart them, we can come out on top and get a small win.

Gray: Is there anything about your politics that differentiates you from the other Democratic candidates running for this office?

Stephen: I'll be honest, I really haven't seen much of the other Democratic candidates' platforms, so I'm not sure what specifically sets me apart from them. But here's what I think sets me apart from anyone:

People talk about affordable housing and growth. I've actually done it. I've actually built it, researched it. I'm a redeveloper—I've done ten redevelopment projects with my wife. My professional background as a developer and real estate broker means I understand zoning, permitting, and financing in a way that no typical politician does, because I have the lived experience.

The mental health lens I bring—while others may focus broadly on healthcare, I'm bringing it from a doctoral level with a research-based approach that ties housing, education, and mental health together. That's unique, different, and forward-thinking.

My Air Force service grounds me in discipline, sacrifice, and patriotism, which resonates with moderates and independents who might otherwise lean Republican. I've been a small business leader managing over 400 agents while being a doctoral candidate—a dual perspective of practical execution plus research and data strategy. I understand both the small business marketplace and the policy space.

My tone and approach are different too. Many Democrats lean heavily on partisan frames, but I position myself as a purpose-driven leader. I'm a people-first person and a true collaborator. I've been saying "collaboration over competition" since 2018, 2019. I've lived that and built my business on that culture. I believe in reaching across the aisle for the greater good, which appeals to swing voters.

Finally, my value-based messaging. It's not just what we say, but how we say it. Instead of just leaning on policy, I weave in faith, purpose, and service—a different approach than most Democratic candidates. Coming from a practical standpoint as a veteran, housing leader, and doctoral researcher who understands how all these things play a part—that's what truly sets me apart.

Gray: What's the number one issue you would like to tackle in the legislature?

Stephen: Obviously housing. So many people are being impacted by the lack of affordable, accessible, and attainable housing. Housing is part of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and core to our American dream, but it's also our level of stability. It affects so many different things. When you don't have adequate housing, you don't have the adequate mindset to make better decisions. It affects your mental health as well. If we can get one part right, we can fix other things as well. It's about doing the right things for the right people—and the right people is everybody. Everybody deserves adequate housing. It's a human need.

There are so many housing programs in other states that we haven't adopted, and I believe people aren't advocating for them because they don't understand how impactful they could be. As a real estate leader, I'm going to bring those issues to the forefront, show the importance and value, and lead the way. A lot of people don't pick up issues because they don't feel expert in them or think they need to bring in someone else. I'll raise my hand and say I'll lead this effort because I understand it. But I'm also not going to act like I'm the only person who knows—I want to bring other real estate leaders in, the Home Builders Association, developers. Let's strategize, see what they really want, and put a plan together to make it happen.

Gray: Do you have any specific policy proposals you hope to introduce?

Stephen: For Dorchester Road, we have the expansion proposal, so I want to make sure we have accelerated state funding for its completion.

For housing and affordability, I want to expand the use of state tax credits—LIHTC—and create density bonus options for builders who set aside affordable units. We do that at the local level a little bit, but from a state perspective, I want to put something around it. Certain localities and municipalities are only affected locally, but if we can do this on a statewide level, how many more houses can we bring to market for our people?

One of my biggest pieces is streamlining permitting and zoning modernization—mandating faster timelines for residential development approvals to reduce delays and costs that drive up home prices. A lot of costs driving up new construction home prices come from holding costs on the developer side. They're holding these properties up to 56 months to get a housing project through. That is insane. We have to do better. Does that mean hiring more people? Then we need to do that. We need to make sure municipalities have the knowledge, resources, and tools to streamline these things. Streamlining permit and zoning modernization will be one of my number one priorities.

Gray: Stephen, it's been good speaking with you this morning. Let's wrap up with your closing argument to party members who will be reading this interview. Of the three candidates running, why should Dorchester County Democrats throw their support behind you?

Stephen: That's a heavy question, but thank you for it. This race isn't about me—it's about District 98 and the future we deserve. We need true leadership that can talk about roads and housing because they've actually been part of building them or the policy around them. Leadership that can talk about schools and mental health because they've studied the data and seen the families struggling. And we need leadership that can bridge the gap and reach across the aisle.

I am the person who has worn a uniform and served my country with purpose, and I will serve District 98 with purpose. I'm a veteran, a housing leader, a doctoral researcher, and a servant to this community. I know what it means to lead with integrity and results.

I understand the realities we face. We are a super minority. Yes, this is a tough state. But I don't believe it's an absolute or the end. I believe we can flip District 98 by being strategic, by talking to voters who feel left behind and their voices weren't heard, by showing them that democratic values aren't abstract—they're about affordable homes, good schools, safe roads, but most importantly, fair opportunity and equity.

I'm asking for their support not just to run a campaign, not just to win, but to build a movement that proves Democrats can win in this district. It's been a Republican district for decades, but together we can change that. Together, we can make a difference where families don't just get by, but actually thrive. District 98 can be a model to show all of South Carolina what it looks like when we lead with purpose first, progress, and people.

Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length. The Dorchester County Democratic Party does not endorse candidates in primary elections. This interview is provided as a service to help voters make informed decisions.