EDDIE TALLON Eddie Tallon of Spartanburg has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for State House District 33. Incumbent Republican Lanny Littejohn is not seeking reelection.

“I am running to fight the Democrats’ relentless push for higher taxes and their war against small business,” said Tallon.

Tallon, 65, is a retired SLED agent and a former vice president of Ryan’s Restaurant Group. He is currently head of The Tallon Group, a private security consulting firm.

Tallon served 17 years with the State Law Enforcement Division, rising to the rank of lieutenant, supervisory special agent. In that position, he supervised 22 agents in criminal investigations.

While with SLED, Tallon served as lead agent in the investiga- tion of Pee Wee Gaskins – the most notorious mass murderer in South Carolina history – that resulted in the conviction and execution of Gaskins.

From 1991 to 2006, Tallon was vice president for the Internal Audit and Loss Prevention Department for Ryan’s, a public company with over 23,000 employees.

Tallon also served as executive director of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association from 1978 to 1981. In addition, he served as spokesperson for law enforcement to the South Carolina General Assembly and assisted the General Assembly in enacting the state’s first asset forfeiture laws.

Tallon has resided in Spartanburg for 32 years. He is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and a 1971 graduate of Limestone College. He served honorably in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1967.

Tallon is married with two adult children. He and his wife, Linda, are members of Morningside Baptist Church.

House District 33 covers much of eastern Spartanburg County and part of Cherokee County.

Contact Tallon at 864- 380-8777 or by e-mail at etaHon@bellsouth.net.