Letter: Merchant does everything with full gusto

I met David Merchant roughly 16 years ago when my husband, Shawn, and I and our growing family moved back to Sumter. David and Laurie and their family have been our dear friends through the action-packed and exhausting child-rearing years. I know David to be a loving and committed family man. We have attended church together through these years and have been committed to the similar goals of loving and serving God and raising our children to love and serve Him as well. Our families have shared memories, life experiences, and perhaps most importantly, a lot of good laughs.

David has always done anything and everything with his full gusto. We have seen him play hard with neighborhood children, go the extra mile helping out fellow Sumterites in his free time or spend days decorating his yard at Christmas for thousands to drive by and enjoy. He is committed to represent every Sumterite with an energy and passion to do the job well. These attributes are not just campaign slogans, they help define who David is. Shawn and I are thrilled that he is running for mayor, as we know he will approach this position with the same strong resolve and determination he has displayed as a devoted family man, a local business owner and Sumter city councilman.

MOLLY S. MATTHEWS

Sumter