By Nicole Collins, Co-Editor
At the June 9 primary election, four candidates are seeking to win the Spartanburg County Council District 4 seat. Spartanburg County District 4 is the largest council district geographically, covering most of the southern part of the county and including the communities of Woodruff, Pacolet, Pauline, Enoree and Cross Anchor. Here’s a look at who is running for Spartanburg County Council District 4.

Whitney Far – Republican (Incumbent)
Age: 36
Current Occupation: Small business owner of Farr Construction and Circle F Farm LLC
Where he lives: Reidville
Why he wants to represent Spartanburg County Council District 4: “My goal is to continue my work to help Spartanburg County prosper economically without destroying our quality of life. During my first term I was able to work with other county leaders on several projects and I look forward to being able to continue that record of success.”
Previous Political Experience: Has represented the citizens of District 4 for the past four years
Top Focus Areas: “The dominant issue is getting our citizens and employers back in business. Second is to continue to get our county roads into repaired and reconditioned. Finally, I am hopeful that we will be able to get better infrastructure such as broadband internet into our rural areas, which will make farms and business more efficient and benefit families as well.”

Russell Lynch – Republican
Age: 61
Current Occupation: Executive Director of Operations at High Point Academy in Spartanburg, where he handles the non-education operations side of the school
Where he lives: Pauline
Why he wants to represent Spartanburg County Council District 4: “I’m running for County Council because the decisions made in our Council Chambers are important and directly impact our community, family, friends and businesses. My desire is to become the councilman citizens can count on to make good well-informed decisions on their behalf that will continue to strengthen Spartanburg County. I have been a successful servant to the citizens of this community for 26 years and want to continue to serve on their behalf at the next level.”
Previous Political Experience: “I ran an unsuccessful campaign for Spartanburg County Sheriff in 2016.”
Top Focus Areas: “I want to ensure our infrastructure is strong and sustainable, supporting our current population and grows to meet the needs of our anticipated growth. Quality of life issues such as recreation and the safety or our families in our schools, places of worship, communities as well as the overall health of Spartanburg County citizens. We must maintain a well-staffed, trained, equipped and empowered public safety resource and my experience in that field will help assist in that area. Lastly, I want to do my part to ensure complete transparency in the way we conduct county business and in the spending of or tax dollars.”

Justin McCorkle – Republican
Age: 44
Current Occupation: Real Estate Agent and Musician
Where he lives: Pauline
Why he wants to represent Spartanburg County Council District 4: “Our district being the largest has some of the most beautiful landscapes our county has to offer. We have also seen exponential growth and business in our district. I want to work with other local government agencies to create a comprehensive plan of action to support smart growth while protecting our natural resources. I want our residents to have strong paying jobs and a great economy. Our voice is as important as any other district in the county. I want our children to have the opportunities that others have in the county and our residents to have the infrastructure we need to be relevant in the 21st century. Our roadways, Internet service, and communications for first responders need to be up to date for our residents’ safety and quality of life.”
Previous Political Experience: “None other than serving on community level committees. Frankly I am not much of a politician.”
Top Focus Areas: Jobs and economy, infrastructure and quality of life for residents

Larry Bradley – Republican
Age: 74
Current Occupation: Retired veteran and retired claims adjuster
Where he lives: “I’m a member of the Reidville community, though technically I have a Woodruff residential address because of how things are laid out.”
Why he wants to represent Spartanburg County Council District 4: “I feel we’re entering a time of expansion and how we handle it now will determine how well things turn out later. I have extensive experience in many fields, having served in the Air Force and having spent a long career involved in finances due to my job as a claims adjuster.”
Previous Political Experience: “I’ve been a polling official for many years. While I have never held elected office, I’ve been politically active, and I’ve always paid attention to the issues.”
Top Focus Areas: “We need to carefully help our economy recover following this unprecedented pandemic. We have the opportunity to do some controlled growth, which will help bring in new jobs to replace some of those lost in the last several months. We need gradual, responsible expansion of our infrastructure to match these changes. If managed correctly, all of this can be accomplished without raising our taxes or sacrificing significant funding for anything vital.”
*The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Woodruff Times. The Woodruff Times does not endorse any political candidate or political party.