Gene Helmich (Aiken County Council District 4, South Carolina, candidate 2024)
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Gene Helmich (Republican Party) ran for election to the Aiken County Council District 4 in South Carolina. He was on the ballot in the Republican primary on June 11, 2024.[source]
Helmich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Gene Helmich provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on June 5, 2024:
- Birth date: September 11, 1948
- Birth place: Cincinnati, Ohio
- High school: Center High School
- Bachelor's: United States Military Academy (West Point), 1970
- Graduate: American Graduate School of International Management, 1979
- Military service: United States Army, 1970-1978
- Gender: Male
- Religion: Episcopalian
- Profession: Engineer
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Vote Gene Helmich 4 District 4
Elections
General election
General election for Aiken County Council District 4
Landon Ball ran in the general election for Aiken County Council District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Landon Ball (R)  | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Aiken County Council District 4
Landon Ball and Gene Helmich ran in the Republican primary for Aiken County Council District 4 on June 11, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Landon Ball | |
 | Gene Helmich | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Helmich in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gene Helmich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Helmich's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My wife and I have lived in North Augusta for over 32 years, and raised our two children here. We live in downtown North Augusta, in the old, historic part of town, which we love. I am a graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point). I have a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in International Business. I am a veteran of the United States Army and served my country in Germany, Korea, and many posts in the United States. I was qualified as an Airborne, Ranger, and Helicopter Pilot. I worked for Westinghouse training the Nuclear Navy in Idaho, building a gas turbine power plant in Saudi Arabia, marketing waste-to-energy plants in Pittsburgh, and in nuclear safety at the Savannah River Site. I am currently President of the Nancy Carson Library Friends Foundation Board. We are currently finishing a $1.5 million renovation where for every two dollars the County spent, the Friends Board spent one dollar. I am a firm believer in public/private partnerships such as this. I am a member of the Sacred Heart Cultural Center Guild Board. I attend St. Paul's Episcopal Church where I am extremely active in outreach activities (Ecuador Mission Team Leader, Outreach Committee, Manna Pantry Team, Men's Meal Team, Senior Lunch Coordinator). I am running because I love our town and county, and I have the time, energy, desire and knowledge to serve.
- Development: Due to Cyber Command and other development at Fort Eisenhower, there is going to be tremendous growth in the CSRA. I believe it is the responsibility of Aiken County Council to plan for controlled growth. County Council needs to set the direction for the staff to plan for development while considering needs for police, sewage treatment, water, EMTs, and other infrastructure.
- Economic Development: Development from Cyber Command will be a challenge for the County; it is also a great opportunity. I would work to develop high-tech/cyber industries in Aiken County. With all of the federal cyber funding coming to this area, many tech companies are going to have offices in the CSRA. Aiken County already has a highly trained work force when you consider SRS, the National Lab, USC-Aiken, Aiken Tech, the medical school, AU, and Augusta Tech, plus the numerous hospitals. I would emphasize this work force to enhance our economic development. I would work to have new businesses locate in Aiken County, providing environmentally clean industries and well-paying jobs, and a growing future for our County.
- Taxes: Aiken County currently has the seventh lowest mileage rate in the State. As a fiscal conservative, I would work to maintain this status. A low mileage rate enhances our economic development abilities.
As a County Councilman, I would be personally passionate about open, honest, and responsive local government. I believe all citizens have the right and obligation to know what their government is doing and how that government's actions will impact them. If I were elected, I would make myself available to the public on a regular basis to address issues and listen to citizen's concerns and questions.
I look up to Ronald Reagan. What I admire about him is that he had firm beliefs and accomplished much because he never cared who got the credit, as long as the goal was achieved. He was an honest and decent man who achieved his goals. I would attempt to emulate him if I am elected to County Council.
I believe that the most important principles for an elected official are what I was taught as a "plebe" at West Point: Duty, Honor, Country. These three words are what I have tried to live my life by and are the principles that I would apply to the job of Aiken County Councilman.
I believe I would be a successful officeholder based on my West Point training to consider all sides of an issue and to keep focused on the ultimate goal. I have an easy-going personality and like to receive input from many different and, often opposing, viewpoints. This allows me to consider all sides of an issue and reach reasoned conclusions.
I believe the core responsibility for someone elected as County Councilman is to be a bridge between the City of North Augusta and Aiken County. I would work to develop coalitions to meet both the needs of North Augusta and Aiken County. A major responsibility for County Council is to set the direction for County development via long-term strategic planning. Another responsibility is to ensure that the County spends tax dollars judiciously.
The legacy I would like to leave is two-fold. First, that Aiken County is a wonderful place to live and work and that all can afford to live here. Secondly, that people would think that I was honest, hard-working, knowledgeable, and fair.
There are several historical events that I recall, such as when President Reagan was shot, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the attacks of September 11.
The very first job I had was cleaning our mission church, and I did this from middle school through high school graduation. This job started as part of a requirement for my Boy Scout Eagle Badge. This job taught me the importance of doing a good job, no matter how menial some people might consider it, and that EVERY job is an important job! I took pride in knowing that I left the church building clean and ready for Sunday services, even when no one noticed what I had done.
I am an avid reader, and have enjoyed many favorite books. Once that stands out for me is Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire. The book is a memoir of the author's childhood in Cuba before Fidel Castro took over the country. He described the horrors of the revolution and the subsequent dire life under a communist regime. He was one of the children airlifted out of Cuba and sent to live in the United States. The struggles of this boy/man are important to me because it shows what he and his family went through to send him to America.....a land where he could live free in a democracy.
I have always lived an active life from high school and college athletics to the rigors of military life. When our daughter was born, we learned that she had hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. This was a shock! Naturally, we did not know what life would hold for her and how this disability would impact her and our family. However, as we went through years of physical, occupational, and speech therapy, we learned to see the joy in all situations. I have learned, from this experience, that life really is what you make of it. We made the decision for my wife to stay home and work with our daughter to prepare her for school and life. It was a huge financial hit, but we adjusted and persevered. With patience, diligence, love, and hard work, we came through to the other side as a strong family unit.
Several City Council members
Kim and Eddie Butler
I believe in completely open government. All citizens have the right to know how tax dollars are spent and the reasons for the spending. As a Councilman, I would make myself available to learn citizen's concerns and issues. Citizen input is extremely important in an open government.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
