ANDERSON COUNTY — Incumbent Republican state Rep. Mike Gambrell and Democratic challenger Richard Kelly both are making improving the infrastructure in their districts a major part of their campaigns for the District 7 seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Gambrell, 50, of Honea Path, is the owner of M&R Enterprises, a rural sanitation and grass cutting company. The most important infrastructure issue in the district, he said, is installing more waterlines.

“We have got to address the water issue in our district,” Gambrell said. “We have people that are hauling drinking water. If you don’t have drinking water, everything else pales in comparison.”

Gambrell, 50, said that the economic crisis has put the water issue on the backburner for now but he wants to push for it. Most of his grant requests were used to ask for waterlines, but a lot of grant programs have been eliminated, he said.

He also would like to focus on education and constituent service. He is glad he helped people find answers to their problems faster during his first term in office, he said. He would like the local education system to have more flexibility to use state money, as long as there is oversight, he said.

Kelly, 41, of Honea Path, a freelance photographer, said he would work on improving infrastructure throughout the district. He is frustrated that there are no rail services or four-lane highways in Honea Path, because he thinks that will limit the number of jobs that come to the area, he said. He also would like to install more water lines throughout the district.

Kelly said he wants to make reforms to the education system.

“I think the best way to improve education is to use open enrollment in the school system,” he said. “Let the school system get paid based on how many students are enrolled there. If you don’t perform, you have to shut the doors.”

Kelly also wants to see residents get their own car insurance instead of having a system of mandated insurance. He believes this would lead to lower car insurance rates and higher compliance rates, he said.