WHERE I STAND
Three things are at the heart of my campaign: Resident Quality of Life, and Infrastructure, and Affordability. These aren’t abstract policy positions — they are the daily challenges that retirees, hospitality workers, and families across District 2 are navigating right now. Who gets to decide how we move forward? Together, we do. And I’m running to be your voice in that conversation.
RESIDENT QUALITY OF LIFE
The Challenge:
Horry County’s growth has brought real strain to the people who live here year-round.
Roads are packed, doctor’s office wait times are long, first responders are stretched,
and the rhythms of community life are changing faster than many expected. Whether you are a retiree who chose this coast for its beauty and pace of life, a hospitality worker who keeps our tourism economy running, or a family that has been here for generations — the challenges of change are real, and they deserve real answers.
Moving Forward:
Tourism should enhance the resident experience, not exhaust it. We welcome visitors, we need them, and a thriving tourism economy depends on a community where residents want to live and work.
Growth and development can be exciting. The financial burden of that development must be placed on those profiting from it, not on the neighbors and retirees who live with the consequences.
District 2 deserves forward-thinking, cooperative leadership that bridges the relationship between Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach.
Healthcare access is a quality of life issue. District 2 needs to attract and retain healthcare workers, and every resident — retired, working, or raising a family — deserves confidence in local health systems.
Restoring trust in the Horry County Police Department is essential. Most county employees are people of service and pride — and repairing the damage done by recent leadership failures is the path forward.
“We live here, raise our families here, and grow old here. We want future generations to do the same. Life is always moving forward — and it’s time to make sure it moves forward for all of us.”
-Kristi burch
infrastructure and roads
The Challenge:
The bypass opened the year Kristi was born. Twenty-six years later, she drove her
newborn daughter home on Highway 22. District 2 went 26 years without a new major
road. The gap between the county’s growth and its road infrastructure affects everyone — the retiree running daily errands, the hospitality worker commuting to work, the family navigating school drop-off. Moving forward requires real investment and real accountability.
Moving Forward:
Fight to reduce travel times to I-95, to Columbia, and to Charlotte by advocating for long-overdue road improvements and funding.
Hold the state of South Carolina accountable for maintaining state roads within District 2.
Support infrastructure investment — including I-73 and utility upgrades — that is designed with environmental consciousness, protecting the natural beauty and ecosystems that make this beach worth living on.
Roads and infrastructure development must be planned with sustainability in mind — minimizing environmental impact, protecting wetlands and waterways, and ensuring that growth does not come at the cost of the natural resources residents and visitors cherish.
End the intergovernmental gridlock that has stalled road projects for decades. Residents deserve results, not excuses.
“Infrastructure isn’t a talking point. It shapes the daily routines of every person in this district — whether you’re driving to a doctor’s appointment, heading to work, or running errands around town.”
-Kristi burch
Affordability
The Challenge:
Horry County has long been the most affordable place to live close to the beach on
the East Coast. That was the draw — for retirees stretching fixed incomes, for
hospitality and tourism workers building a life here, for families choosing community over big-city costs. Over the last decade that affordability has eroded significantly. Property taxes are climbing, everyday costs are rising, and the county’s economic boom is not being felt in working families’ wallets.
Moving Forward:
The financial burden of development must fall on those making a profit from it — not on retirees on fixed incomes, hospitality workers, and families who live with the traffic, density, and strain it creates.
Keep property taxes in check and oppose unnecessary county spending.
Ensure that policy decisions made in Conway reflect the real cost of life in District 2 — not just growth headlines.
Support workforce and affordable housing solutions that allow teachers, nurses, first responders, and tourism and hospitality workers to afford to live where they work.
Growth is only good if working families and retirees can still afford to call this community home as we move forward together.
“Horry County has always been the most affordable place to live close to the beach on the East Coast. As we move forward, it must stay that way for the people who have chosen to call it home.”
-Kristi burch
FAQs
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I’m running as a Forward Party candidate because I believe you deserve a choice on the ballot in November. It has been decades since District 2 had a contested County Council race in November. Democracy works best when voters have real options. Not left, not right — forward. Answering the challenges of change requires honoring what we were, knowing who we are today, and having a vision for moving us forward. That is exactly what I intend to do. As a Forward Party candidate, I am committed to elevating the voice of every voter, working collaboratively across divides to find long-term solutions, and serving as a role model for this community in everything I do.
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The Forward Party believes everyday Americans should be able to decide what’s best for them and their communities.
That’s why they’re building a party that puts the power back in the hands of the American voter.