Nearly two dozen candidates vie in Richland County school board races
Departures and retirements of incumbents have produced a bumper crop of candidates for Richland County school boards this fall.
The field is particularly large in Richland 2, where incumbents Susan Brill and Chip Jackson, respectively, are seeking to move to the state Senate and County Council, respectively.
Overall, there are a dozen candidates seeking three at-large posts. The field includes board member Monica Elkins, who is seeking re-election after losing an election bid in the Democrat primary for a state House of Representatives seat.
In Richland 1, six candidates are running for the at-large seats of incumbents Pamela Adams and Vince Ford, both of whom are retiring.
Two board members elected from districts – Jamie Devine and Cheryl Harris – are unopposed.
Like Columbia City Council, Richland 1’s board members are elected through a mix of at-large and district seats.
In Lexington-Richland 5, in the Irmo-Chapin-Ballentine area, incumbent Robert Gantt is asking election officials to disqualify challenger Kim Murphy.
His request is based on the board’s 2013 decision ousting her after an updated state survey of county borders in the Chapin area determined she lives in Lexington County, not Richland County, as required for that seat.
A judge affirmed the decision, but Murphy contends she can run because her appeal of the ruling means no final decision has been made.
Candidates in the nonpartisan races for the eight board posts face off Nov. 8, with the top vote-getters in each race winning outright.
Tim Flach: 803-771-8483
On the ballot
Here are the candidates in Richland County school board races on the Nov. 8 ballot as reported by state election officials:
RICHLAND 1
At-large (2 posts): Darrell Black, Otha Dillihay, Avni Gupta-Kagan, Donna Mack, Mama Miller and Lila Anna Sauls
District 2: Jamie Devine*
District 4: Cheryl Harris*
RICHLAND 2
At-large (3 posts): Lindsay Agostini, Anthony Bracy, Henry Counts, Monica Elkins*, Kay Harvey, Evangelina Hemphill, Bill McCracken, James Mobley, Keith Powell, Jamie Shadd, Shelly Williams and Milton Wright
LEXINGTON-RICHLAND 5
(Richland County side)
At-large (1 seat): Robert Gantt*, Kim Murphy
* denotes incumbent
This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Nearly two dozen candidates vie in Richland County school board races."