SC: Councilman's "Independent" Candidacy was Partisan Republican Ruse

From The State:

The upstart independent candidate who edged a veteran of the Lexington County GOP by 32 votes to become a county councilman has declared he is a Republican, five days after an election protest deadline.

Brad Matthews, 24, announced his party affliation at the Dutch Fork Republican Women’s Club’s Nov. 15 meeting. The 34-year-old club has members who live in Council District 7, which Matthews will represent when he takes office in Jan. 4.