HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County’s recent gain of House District 61 has candidates anticipating more opportunities to address needs in the area.

John Cassidy and Carla Schuessler, candidates running for House District 61, said a big concern in the county is infrastructure needs. With the newly formed seat, there are more opportunities to address that.  

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Schuessler said.

“Our county is very fortunate, we’ve seen a lot of growth all over,” Cassidy said.

House District 61 was previously made up of parts of Marion and Florence counties. It now represents parts of Horry County including Conway and Forestbrook areas.

The move comes from population growth in the area. 

“Now we have another delegation, another delegate seat at Columbia,” Cassidy said.

Both Cassidy and Schuessler are running with hopes to turn the seat red. They said the newly formed district will open up more opportunities for the area while also providing more voices in Columbia.

“It’s an opportunity to have another delegate representing this area working together to bring more money back to our area,” Schuessler said. 

Hot topics for the district include growth and development. Both candidates emphasized infrastructure needs in the county.

“At the state level it is roads, traffic, infrastructure needs, police and fire protection, those types of things that kind of go hand in hand with growth,” Schuessler said

“But it’s not just about roads infrastructure — includes our water, our sewer, services that’s going to service these areas, such as police and fire and ambulance,” Cassidy said.

Other topics on the community’s mind include flooding and education. While growth in the county seems to be inevitable, if elected, both candidates are prepared to tackle it in a proactive way.

“What I intend to do if I get elected is go up there and find the folks that want to problem solve, and not just sit around and have rhetoric,” Cassidy said.

“I’m at a point in my life where I can serve at this level, and really go and help with the delegation to bring our fair share back here to us,” Schuessler said.

Both Republican candidates will face off in the primary elections in June.