South Carolina voters will choose between Republican David Stumbo and Democrat Richard Hricik for Attorney General, the state's chief legal officer and criminal prosecutor.
REPUBLICAN — David Stumbo
- Experience: Career prosecutor who currently serves as a circuit solicitor.
- Public Safety: Emphasizes aggressive prosecution of violent criminals, gangs and serious drug offenses.
- Law Enforcement: Supports additional protections for police officers and has pledged to defend qualified immunity for officers acting within their duties.
- Legal Philosophy: Emphasizes constitutional limits, South Carolina law and resisting government overreach.
- Business Climate: Supports legal reforms intended to make South Carolina's legal environment more predictable for businesses.
DEMOCRAT — Richard Hricik
- Experience: More than 30 years of legal practice and substantial courtroom experience.
- Consumer Protection: Emphasizes deceptive debt collection, surprise medical bills, prescription-drug prices, scams and financial schemes targeting families and seniors.
- Corporate Accountability: Places greater emphasis on using the Attorney General's office to challenge corporations and other powerful interests when he believes consumers are being harmed.
- Management: Has not previously served as Attorney General and would be taking over a large statewide legal and law-enforcement operation for the first time.
The Choice
Stumbo emphasizes criminal prosecution, law enforcement, constitutional limits and a business-friendly legal environment. Hricik places greater emphasis on consumer protection and corporate accountability.
This comparison is based on candidate campaign materials, public records and other publicly available information. Positions are summarized for voter information; readers are encouraged to review each candidate's own statements and campaign materials for additional detail.
