COLUMBIA, S.C. — An Upstate seat in the South Carolina State House of Representatives will become open later this year as District 33 Representative Eddie Tallon announced his intention to retire after finishing out his term this year.
Tallon, a Republican from the Upstate, announced his retirement in a letter published in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal on Sunday. It said in part, "It has been a sincere honor to be your voice in Columbia, dealing with important issues and moving South Carolina forward. I’m genuinely proud to see our community flourish and grow, and I’m confident our best days are yet to come. However, it is with a heavy heart that I announce to you that my time serving in the state House is coming to an end, and I will not seek re-election."
Rep. Tallon was elected to the SC House in 2010 and Majority Whip from 2014-2016. He as Assistant Majority Leader in 2017 and served on the House Judiciary Committee and Legislative Oversight Committee and as the chairman of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
He is a veteran of the US Air Force and was a career law enforcement officer before retiring and working for Ryan's Restaurant Group as Vice President of Internal Audit and Loss Prevention.
Rep. Tallon faced Tommy Dimsdale in the 2018 Republican Primary and won 65.5% (2,794 votes) to 34.5% (1,472 votes) before running unopposed in the general election.
Highlighting record low unemployment, DOT reform and increased funding, DPS reform, and numerous accomplishments while serving in the State House, Tallon said, "I have always set out to leave the place in which I’ve served in better shape than I found it."
