1955	A study committee of business and political leaders recommended that the City of Aiken change its form of government from Council-Mayor to Council-Manager. The S.C. legislature approved the proposal and Gov. George Timmerman signed it into law.
1956	The Aiken County Republican Party was founded February 5, 1956. The first County Convention was held on March 5, 1956.
1956	The first State Convention of the modern day Republican Party of South Carolina was held March 27, 1956. Aiken County had seven delegates and eight alternates. Mrs. P. K. McNair, Sr. was the first State Committeewoman.
1956	Prime movers in the organization of the Aiken County Republican Party included Austin Van Zile, Dr. Edward J. Hennelly, Fred Kaufman, Osgood Holt, and Mrs. N. J. Donahue. Dr. Hennelly related that the first meeting was held in a telephone booth behind the Aiken County Courthouse. The elected Courthouse Democrats would not let Republicans use the facility.
1956	Dave Burns of New Ellenton was an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention held in the San Francisco Cow Palace.
1957	Mr. David Dows, an Aiken winter resident, became Chairman of the "modern" South Carolina Party. Austin F. T. Van Zile was elected County Chairman.
1957	North Augusta Republicans held a convention and nominated Warren Hites for Mayor, and Councilpersons Mrs. Frances Gladden, William H. Burns, and Dr. Quentin Hull. They received about 30% of the vote.
1958	North Augusta nominated William H. Burns for a City Council seat. He was not elected.
1959	Aiken nominated, by convention, Tallie J. Crocker, Eugene England, and Ed M. Sampson for City Council seats. They received approximately 30% of the vote.
1960	Dave Ward, North Augusta, was elected delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago.
1960	North Augusta, by convention, nominated Claude Machemer, Bruce Longtin, and Dave Ward for City Council. They received about 30% of the vote.
1961	Aiken nominated, by convention, Tallie J. Crocker, Ed M. Sampson and Keith Williams for City Council seats. They received about 30% of the vote.
1962	Aiken County Republican Women’s Club was formed. Mrs. Alice Wilder was the key person in the formation and success of the Club. She later served as Comltu.tteewoman to the National Party.
1962	A special election was held in the 2nd Congressional District. Albert Watson defeated a Mr. Callison. Watson carried Aiken County by a 3-1 majority and the district by about 70%.
1963	A number of Republicans were elected to the North Augusta City Council.
1964	Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater for President by receiving 486 to 52 electoral votes. Goldwater carried Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Aiken County voted 2-1 for Goldwater.
1964	Senator J. Strom Thurmond of Aiken switched from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party. He is the only senator in U. S. history to have been elected on a write-in ballot. This occurred in 1954.
1965	The first Republicans were elected to Aiken City Council. They were Jutson Fulmer, Gilbert E. McMillan, and Dr. James Suhrer.
1966	Aiken County conducted the first in the history of South Carolina countywide Republican Primary. The election was held on June 14, 1966 with 2792 citizens voting. The primary was for seats in the S.C. Legislature. There were eight candidates who ran at large. Successful nominees were Wayne P. Farmer, Zack G. Fulmer, S. Eugene Hamlet, and Delmus I. Weeks. All nominees were elected to the Legislature in the November general election.
1966	Col. Marion H. "Joe" Smoak was elected to the S.C. Senate. He was the first Republican elected to that body in more than 75 years.
1966	Republicans were instrumental in the building of a multi-million dollar waste treatment plant for the Horse Creek Valley. Textile plant effluents were prime contributors. William J. Mottel, Dupont Plant Manager, of North Augusta played the leadership role.
1967	After a successful 1966 Aiken County Primary, H. A. "Mac" McClearen was invited by Dr. James B. Edwards to Charlestown to address the Charleston County Republican Party. The Aiken County success and primary operations were reviewed. Charleston County voted to have future primaries.
1967	Eugene England, Republican of Aiken, was appointed to the Aiken County Election Commission when Mr. Audley H. Ward retired. Mr. England was elected Chairman and served with Mr. W. H. Jones of Burnettown and Mr. Earnest Jones of Salley.
1968	H. A. "Mac" McClearen was elected to represent the 3rd Congressional District at the National Convention in Miami. Senator Marion H. Smoak was elected alternate. Richard M. Nixon was nominated and elected President. Teenage Republicans that attended the convention were Sarah Borup, Scott Elliott, Robert McClearen, Skip Paulkert and Freddie Smoak. H. A. "Mac" McClearen served as CSRA Chairman for Nixon.
1969	A special election was held in March to fill an open seat on Aiken City Council. The seat was vacated when Gilbert E. McMillan was elected in 1968 to the S.C. Senate. H.A. "Mac" McClearen defeated H. W. Wyman, Sr., in a primary and faced Dr. Raymond Kaplan, Democrat. The election ended in a tie vote, 923 to 923. Another special election was held and Dr. Raymond Kaplan won. The message - one vote does count!
1972	The Aiken County Commission was formed and approved by the State Legislature and signed into law by Gov. John West in March. The County Delegation form of government had been in effect for 100 years.
1972	Seven Republicans were elected to all positions in the newly legislated Aiken County Commission. Elected were Harold V. Graybeal, Chairman; Wade N. Brodie; Ralph F. Cullinan; E. E. Farmer; Larry J. Murphy; Mrs. Joann Price; and Carrol H. Warner. A full-time administrator was hired to oversee day to day operations.
1972	The Aiken County Election Commission introduced the VOTAMATIC, a new punchcard system, replacing the paper ballot. This allowed votes to be counted by computer. Aiken County was the second county in South Carolina to use VOTAMATIC machines. These have been used f or approximately 30 years without problems.
1971-1973	Aiken County Legislative Delegation and its administrative successor, the Aiken County Commission, were supportive of a number of significant Aiken County issues, including the following: Waste Treatment Plant for Horse Creek Valley, Aiken, North Augusta, and part of Edgefield County. Establishment of a private hospital. Establishment of Aiken County Technical Center between Aiken and North Augusta on U.S. Highway 1. Changing paper ballot voting to VOTAMATIC punch card system. Legislative support in moving University of South Carolina Aiken from downtown to University Parkway on land procured from the Graniteville Company. Republican Delegation members included Senators A.J. Dooley, Michael L. Laughlin, Gilbert E. McMillan; House Members Marshall Cain, Cecil Collins, Julian Dunbar, Zack Fulmer; Aiken County Commissioners Harold V. Greybeal (Chairman), Wade N. Brodie, Ralph F. Cullinan, E.E. Farmer, Larry J. Murphy, Mrs. Joann Price, Carrol H. Warner.
1974	The all-Republican Aiken County Commission made the very unpopular decision to build a private hospital. The Hospital Corporation of America was chosen as the provider. Today we have the extensive Aiken Regional Medical Centers, including open heart surgery.
1975	The S.C. General Assembly approved the "Home Rule Act". This Act gave State voters the option of selecting one of five different forms of County home government. In a subsequent referendum, Aiken County voters chose the "Council-Administrator" form of government. This replaced the 1972 Aiken County Commission, which selected all members at large. Aiken County was now divided into eight single-member districts of equal population with the Chairman elected at large. As a result, the Republican absolute control (100%) of County operations was eliminated. However, for most of the last 25 years Republicans have had a majority.
1976	Doris Jones Thweatt, North Augusta, was delegate to the Republican National Convention in Kansas City.
1976	Dr. James B. Edwards and General William C. Westmoreland faced each other in a statewide Republican primary, with Edwards winning. D. I. Ross, Jr., of Barnwell managed the Edwards campaign against the former 3rd District Congressman William Jennings Dorn. Edwards became the first Republican governor in 100 years.
1980	The Republican Party held its first statewide presidential primary. Candidates were John Anderson, George H.W. Bush, John Connelly, Mr. Fernandez, and Ronald Reagan. Reagan won South Carolina and the presidency with George H.W. Bush being Vice-president. Strom Thurmond and James B. Edwards supported John Connelly.
1988	GOP holds a statewide Super Tuesday primary for presidential candidates. Candidates were George H.W. Bush, Robert Dole, Jack Kemp, Pat Robertson, and Harold Stassen. Bush took S.C.
1988	The Republican National Convention was held in New Orleans. R.S. "Skipper" Perry was a delegate from the 3rd Congressional District. George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle were nominated and elected to the Presidency and Vice-presidency.
1996	June Cannon, Aiken, and Susan Swanson, North Augusta, were alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention in San Diego.
1996	The Republican County Republican Women hosted a presidential candidate rally chaired by Mary Ann Lynes and June Cannon, County Chairman. Attending were candidates Lamar Alexander, Bob Dole, Steve Forbes, and Alan Keyes.
1996	Susan Swanson was a delegate to the National Convention in Philadelphia.
2000	The Aiken County Republican Women hosted a presidential candidate rally, co-chaired by June Cannon and Mary Ann Lynes. George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney were later nominated and elected President and Vice- president.
1970-2001	Aiken County Republicans have elected increasing numbers of officials in the county and districts, such as City Council, County Council, Mayor, Sheriff, Registrar of Mesne Conveyances, Treasurer, Auditor, Solicitor, State House of Representatives, and S.C. Senate.

YEAR	COUNTY CHAIRMAN	STATE COMMITTEEMAN*	STATE CHAIRMAN*
1956	Austin F.T. Van Zile	Mrs. Ruth McNair	David Dows
1957	Austin F.T. Van Zile	Mrs. Ruth McNair	David Dows
1958	Austin F.T. Van Zile	Mrs. Ruth McNair	David Dows
1959	Austin F.T. Van Zile	David A. Ward	Greg D. Shorey
1960	Austin F.T. Van Zile	David A. Ward	Greg D. Shorey
1960	Frank Cormany	David A. Ward	Greg D. Shorey
1960	J. Brad Hayes	David A. Ward	Robert F. Chapman
1963	J. Brad Hayes	A.F.T. Van Zile	J. Drake Edens,Jr.
1964	J. Brad Hayes	A.F.T. Van Zile	J. Drake Edens,Jr.
1965	Hastings Wyman, Jr.	Mrs. Eva Burgess	J. Drake Edens,Jr.
1966	Harber A. McClearen	Mrs. Jerry Weibel	Harry A. Dent
1967	Harber A. McClearen	Mrs. Jerry Weibel	Harry A. Dent
1968	Gilbert E. McMillan	Mrs. Jerry Weibel	Harry A. Dent
1969	Gilbert E. McMillan	Wayne P. Farmer	Raymond A. Harris
1970	Wallace A. Blackwell	Wayne P. Farmer	Raymond A. Harris
1971	Wallace A. Blackwell	H. A. McClearen	C. Kenneth Powell
1972	Edward J. Hennelly	Harold J. Graybeal	C. Kenneth Powell
1973	Edward J. Hennelly	Harold J. Graybeal	C. Kenneth Powell
1974	Lloyd T. Olsen	Harold J. Graybeal	C. Kenneth Powell
1975	Lloyd T. Olsen	Mrs. Doris H. Jones	Jesse L. Cooksey
1976	R.S. "Skipper" Perry	Mrs. Doris H. Jones	Jesse L. Cooksey
1977	R.S. "Skipper" Perry	Mrs. Doris H. Jones	D. I. Ross, Jr.
1978	Joe Dunkin	Mrs. Doris H. Jones	D. I. Ross, Jr
1979	Joe Dunkin	Mrs. Joan Blackwell	D.I. Ross, Jr
1980	Joe Dunkin	Mrs. Joan Blackwell	D.I. Ross, Jr.
1981	Joe Dunkin	Mrs. Joan Blackwell	Dr. George G. Graham
1982	Frederick C. Christensen	Harold V. Graybeal	Dr. George G. Graham
1983	Frederick C. Christensen	Melvin Fallaw	Dr. George G. Graham
1984	Kenneth Goad	Melvin Fallaw	Dr. George G. Graham
1985	Kenneth Goad	Melvin Fallaw	Dr. George G. Graham
1986	Kenneth Goad	Frank Pollattie	Dr. George G. Graham
1987	Kenneth Goad	O’Neal Fallaw	Van Hipp, Jr.
1988	Kenneth Goad	Frank Pollattie	Van Hipp, Jr.
1989	Betty Christensen	Frank Pollattie	Van Hipp, Jr.
1990	Betty Christensen	Frank Pollattie	Van Hipp, Jr.
1991	Robert R. Butterworth	Frank Pollattie	Barry D. Winn
1992	Robert R. Butterworth	Frank Pollattie	Barry D. Winn
1993	Robert R. Butterworth	Frank Pollattie	Barry D. Winn
1994	June H. Cannon	Kathryn Kling	Henry McMaster
1995	June H. Cannon	Kathryn Kling	Henry McMaster
1996	Andrew C. Marine	John L. Cannon	Henry McMaster
1997	Andrew C. Marine	John L. Cannon	Henry McMaster
1998	Diane Giddings	Gary Bunker	Henry McMaster
1999	Diane Giddings	Gary Bunker	Henry McMaster
2000	David Nix	Robert R. Butterworth	Henry McMaster
2001	David Nix	Ginny Allen	Henry McMaster
2002	David Nix	Ginny Allen	Katon Dawson
2003	David Nix	Ginny Allen	Katon Dawson
2004	David Nix	Andrew Marine	Katon Dawson
2005	Ginny Allen	Andrew Marine	Katon Dawson

* Source: South Carolina Legislative Manual

COMPILED BY:

H.A. "Mac" McClearen

122 Dunbarton Circle

Aiken, South Carolina 29803

Telephone: (803) 649-2674

Date: Revised, August 27, 2001