Allen says Allendale County needs change in District 2 race

Richard Dean Allen is asking District 2 voters to make Allendale County’s only contested county race in 2026 a vote for change, putting crime and water service at the center of his challenge to incumbent James White Jr.

Allen said he entered the race because he believes the county needs change and thinks he can help deliver it if elected. He described himself as a business owner who has operated in Allendale County for more than 20 years, with experience in real estate development and sales, work in the legal field and a role in bringing grant funding to the county in 2023.

His questionnaire pointed to a campaign built around visible results. Allen named presentation, infrastructure and crime as the county’s top three issues, saying officials should keep citizens informed and involved. He also said county council should change the form of government, signaling that he sees structural reform as part of the answer, not just new projects or more spending.

Water emerged as Allen’s most urgent infrastructure concern, a position backed by recent state action. In May 2026, the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved more than $29 million in grant assistance for 22 capital improvement projects in 16 counties, including a $750,000 water-infrastructure award for Allendale County in the first competitive round of fiscal year 2026. State grant programs are aimed at water, sewer and stormwater improvements, underscoring how closely Allen’s answer tracks the county’s needs.

The county’s broader conditions help explain why his message may resonate. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 ACS profile lists Allendale County’s population at 8,039 in the 2020 Census, a median household income of $32,328, 14.3% of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher, an employment rate of 39.9% and 3,238 households. Independent demographic estimates show further population loss ahead, with a 2026 projection of 7,198.

Crime is another pressure point. Public summaries based on FBI-reported data show Allendale County’s violent-crime and property-crime rates running well above national averages from 2019 through 2023, with particularly high rates for homicide, aggravated assault and larceny. Against that backdrop, Allen said the county needs better presentation and reduced crime to attract new businesses and jobs, while urging leaders to pay attention to what citizens need.

Allendale County operates under a council/administrator form of government, with five council members elected from single-member districts and one chairman. Regular council meetings are held every third Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Allendale County Courthouse, where District 2’s race may become the clearest public test of whether voters want White to remain in office or Allen’s promised shift in direction.