Mason Sims (Pickens County Council District 5, South Carolina, candidate 2024)

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Mason Sims

Republican Party

Candidate, Pickens County Council District 5

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 11, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Southern Wesleyan University, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Hanahan, SC

Religion

Christian

Profession

Educator

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Mason Sims (Republican Party) ran for election to the Pickens County Council District 5 in South Carolina. He was on the ballot in the Republican primary on June 11, 2024.^[source]

Sims completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mason Sims provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on May 20, 2024:

• Birth date: December 30, 1996
• Birth place: Hanahan, South Carolina
• High school: DW Daniel High School
• Bachelor's: Southern Wesleyan University, 2019
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Christian
• Profession: Educator
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Run Mason Run!
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• LinkedIn

Elections

General election

The primary runoff occurred on June 25, 2024. The general election will occur on November 5, 2024. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary runoff.

General election for Pickens County Council District 5

Chris Bowers ran in the general election for Pickens County Council District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Chris Bowers (R)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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 runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Pickens County Council District 5

Chris Bowers and Brandon Thomas ran in the Republican primary runoff for Pickens County Council District 5 on June 25, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Chris Bowers
	Submit photo	Brandon Thomas

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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 Pickens County Council District 5

Chris Bowers, Mason Sims, and Brandon Thomas ran in the Republican primary for Pickens County Council District 5 on June 11, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Chris Bowers
		Mason Sims
	Submit photo	Brandon Thomas

---

	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sims in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mason Sims completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sims' responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Mason Sims and I am running for Pickens County Council District 5. I graduated from Southern Wesleyan University in 2019 with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. I am currently a middle school science teacher at Legacy Early College and have been employed there for the past year. I have been actively involved in local politics for the past four years and have been a delegate to the last two state conventions. I was also a delegate to the district convention in Greenwood, SC last month. I have always had an interest in politics, had the desire to serve and help others, and I see the need for returning our government back to We the People.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Council members need to appoint board members who uphold the conservative values of Pickens County and I will do my best to do that once elected. We especially need to hold members of our library board accountable because there are current books in the children section that contain obscene material and do not need to be present in the children's section.
• There is too much growth in Pickens County! It appears that a lot of our elected officials are for these national developers building these cookie cutter subdivisions throughout our county. Once elected, I will do my best to come up with proposals that will place restrictions on how many homes these national developers can build on a single acre of land.
• I want my constituents to know that their voices will be heard! They are the reason why I will be elected and I pledge to give my constituents my undivided attention that they deserve when they come before council.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about education because I am currently a middle school science teacher and we need to protect our youth to get them ready for professional life and to protect this great nation. Transportation and public works is another passion of mine because overall Pickens county roads are in poor shape. Once elected, I would like to create a list the prioritizes the roads that need to be fixed based on how badly they are damaged and not where they are located.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my parents because they are some of the most generous and hardworking people that I know. They never took a handout from anyone, even during the earlier years in their marriage when they were just starting out in their careers. It has been an honor to have their support with my campaign.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I was say that the Rocky I-II are movies that I would recommend to someone who wants to understand my philosophy. I believe Rocky is a good example about overcoming adversity and is a good example of the American Dream which is the belief that anything is possible. I believe anyone can run, no matter what their past experiences are. People often question why I am challenging the Chairman of the County Council for my first seat, but like Rocky Balboa, I truly feel that I have the heart and determination to run in this race, go the distance, and come out victorious. I encourage anyone to seek office and to not let others discourage them from running.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials should be fully aware of what they signed up for. The good elected officials do not serve for the money or the fame. They serve with one purpose which is to love and look after the best interests of their constituents.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am very personable and I feel that I have the ability to build rapport with people. In many careers, I believe that those who have good relationship building skills will be able to advance very far in their career.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a pharmacy intern at CVS Pharmacy and had that job for 3 years. I am actually receiving support from former coworkers with my campaign!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

I believe that a lot of people do not know that there are around 20 total boards in Pickens County and council members are responsible for appointing people to these boards.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, I do not believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics. A resume shows all of the positive skills and experiences you have, but potential outweighs experience in my opinion. There have been career politicians who have been in office for several decades and accomplished very little. As we have seen, Donald Trump was not a politicians and he accomplished more things in one term than most presidents have in two.

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.

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Candidate

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