The Executive Committee of the York County Republican Party has recently decided to reopen nominations for the sheriff’s position. This move comes shortly after Kevin Tolson, the current sheriff, withdrew his candidacy for re-election in November.
In an interesting turn of events, Beth Tolson, Kevin Tolson’s wife, announced her intention to run for sheriff last Monday. Nevertheless, the York County Republican Executive Committee made a decision on Tuesday night to allow more candidates to file for the sheriff’s role.
The new filing period is set to start on Thursday at noon and will end at noon on April 17. Following this announcement, Heath Clevenger, a former deputy, expressed his intention to enter the race via a Facebook post on Wednesday morning.
Beth Tolson brings to the table over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, with a significant portion of her career spent at the York County Sheriff’s Office. In recent years, she has served as an investigator for the 16th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
If elected, Beth Tolson would be the second woman to hold the position of sheriff in South Carolina, following Kristin Graziano of Charleston County, who was elected in 2020. Additionally, Beth would continue a family legacy in law enforcement, as her father, Bruce Bryant, was York County’s sheriff prior to her husband, who assumed the role in 2016.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
