▁the ▁bar , ▁R ivers ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁twelve ▁state ▁representative ▁sp ots ▁from ▁Char l eston ▁County . ▁County ▁politics ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁were ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁political ▁machine ▁of ▁Char l eston ▁mayor ▁Burn et ▁R . ▁May bank , ▁and ▁gain ing ▁his ▁end ors ement ▁was ▁cru cial ▁to ▁winning ▁an ▁election . ▁R ivers ▁sought ▁the ▁mayor ' s ▁bless ing , ▁but ▁was ▁rejected ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁unknown ▁candidate ▁from ▁North ▁Char l eston . ▁He ▁ran ▁as ▁an ▁Independent ▁Dem ocrat ▁and ▁was ▁defeated ▁in ▁his ▁bid ▁for ▁election . ▁ ▁A ▁vac ancy ▁on ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁County ▁deleg ation ▁arose ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁when ▁Ben ▁Scott ▁Wh ale y ▁res igned ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁Senator ▁James ▁Francis ▁By r nes . ▁R ivers ▁won ▁the ▁special ▁election ▁by ▁running ▁against ▁Char l eston ▁and ▁campaign ing ▁on ▁the ▁s log an ▁" G ive ▁the ▁Northern ▁End ▁of ▁the ▁County ▁Represent ation ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁R ivers ▁ran ▁for ▁re - e lection ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁most ▁votes ▁of ▁any ▁state ▁House ▁candidate ▁on ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁County ▁ticket , ▁making ▁him ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁deleg ation . ▁As ▁a ▁state ▁Represent ative , ▁R ivers ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Jud ici ary ▁and ▁Education ▁comm itte es . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁state ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Young ▁Democr ats ▁in ▁ 1