SUMMERVILLE — Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars has spent more than a decade wrangling local budgets, rapid growth and road projects. Now he’s aiming higher and taking a shot at Washington.
Byars on Sept. 17 jumped into the crowded Republican primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, blasting what he called the “ineptitude” of the federal government and vowing to bring home more resources to help the Lowcountry keep up with its rapid growth.
“I’m a little bit tired of watching the drama that’s up there,” Byars told The Post and Courier ahead of his campaign launch at Ashley River Park. “If I win, I’m going up there to get some work done.”
Asked what he meant by drama, Byars issued a thinly veiled rebuke of Mace, R-Charleston.
“We have one in particular who hurts our district because they’re more interested in serving themselves than this district. So without naming names, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions,” Byars said.
Byars, 53, joins a growing roster of Republicans in the race for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which is now seen as an open prize after Mace opted to run for governor rather than seek reelection to a fourth term.
The coastal seat, which stretches from Charleston to Beaufort, has trended Republican in recent years.
With his announcement, Byars becomes the fourth GOP contender to formally enter the race, joining state lawmaker and funeral home owner Mark Smith, retired Air Force pilot Alex Pelbath — who flew the last U.S. aircraft out of Kabul — and retired doctor Sam McCown.
Byars’ entrance into the race comes after months of him signaling interest in the seat.
In an April 10 social media post, Byars wrote that the country was at a “crucial inflection point,” arguing that the district needed a leader with strong conservative values.
“For the last twenty years, our national politics has spiraled into discord we have not seen in our lifetimes. We need to celebrate America and the fabric of who we are as Americans again,” he wrote at the time.
In an interview, Byars expressed his support for President Donald Trump and confirmed his plans to seek the president’s endorsement in the race, adopting the campaign slogan, “America First. Lowcountry Always.”
Before entering politics, Byars taught science and coached baseball in Dorchester School District Two.
He has voiced strong criticism of the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that it “should never have been created in the first place” and does little to improve classrooms or student learning.
He also pledged to be a champion for conservation, saying it is essential to protect both local and federal lands and to manage development responsibly to preserve the Lowcountry’s natural beauty.
Analysts at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report have labeled the coastal seat a solid Republican district, with a built-in 6-point GOP advantage. Official filing for the ballot doesn’t open until March.
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