Lexington County Solicitor Endorses Sen. Jake Knotts

Lexington County law enforcement and county officials joined Solicitor Donnie Myers Tuesday for a press conference to endorse Sen. Jake Knotts. 

Myers commended Knotts, the incumbent for the District 23 seat, for providing funding for the criminal justice system in Lexington County. 

"Some years ago funding was lacking," Myers said. "We didn't get money to help train prosecutors, to help train investigators. But that changed with Sen. Jake Knotts." 

Knotts brought more than $17.3 million to the county's criminal justice system during the last four years, Myers said. That money funded anti-gang programs, forensic drug labs, victim assistance and software for investigating computer crimes.

Knotts, a former police officer, said law enforcement needs money to keep criminals off the streets. 

"My goal is to make sure that the law enforcement officers of this county and this state - especially my county and my district - have every favorable tool and have the money so that we can keep our street safe and put the criminals in jail where they're supposed to be," he said. 

Knotts has a 10-year tenure in the Senate. The South Carolina Republican Party, however, .