Most voters want to keep electing education superintendent

Most S.C. voters want to keep the state’s schools chief an elected position.

A large majority of voters Tuesday opposed an amendment to make the state’s education superintendent an appointed member of the governor’s cabinet.

Under the amendment, the head of the state’s Education Department would no longer be chosen by the state’s voters every four years. Instead, the governor would choose the person for the job with the approval of the S.C. Senate.

Superintendents of education have been elected since South Carolina adopted its current constitution in 1895. But critics say the current way of choosing superintendents splits responsibility for the state’s education between the governor and a separately elected superintendent who may not share the governor’s priorities.

Superintendent Molly Spearman will continue to serve in the post until January 2023. The Saluda Republican won re-election easily on Tuesday, weeks after her Democratic opponent, Israel Romero, dropped out of the race after the Anderson Independent Mail revealed he was convicted of a felony charge in 2008 that would disqualify him from taking office if elected.

Spearman was a supporter of changing the constitution to make her job an appointed position.

Also Tuesday, S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis won re-election, defeating Democratic candidate Rosalyn Glenn, a former banking administrator and financial consultant, and public accountant Sarah Work of the centrist American Party.

Amendment One

• Yes 672,992
• No 945,902

(2,260 of 2,261 precincts reporting)

Source: New York Times

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 9:03 PM.