After voting deadlocked over three candidates to fill the vacant seat on Charleston County School Board, one nominee withdrew, clearing the way for the Legislative Delegation to choose Lurline Fishburne.

The county delegation could not vote with a clear majority for Fishburne, Thuane Fielding and Neil Robinson Jr. for a little under an hour at Monday night's meeting at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. But after a short recess following two votes, Robinson withdrew his name from the contest.

Sen. Glenn McConnell, Rep. Bobby Harrell, Rep. Wallace Scarborough and Sen. Randy Scott threw their support behind Fishburne after Robinson's withdrawal, giving Fishburne a 63.9 percent lead over Fielding in the weighted vote.

"I'm very pleased," said Fishburne, the wife of Charleston City Councilman Henry Fishburne, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully last year for the state Senate. "I believe children are where my expertise lies."

Fishburne, who works in her husband's office, taught for 10 years in public and private schools.

The downtown seat has been open since the Jan. 4 death of board member Hugh Cannon.

Cannon's widow, Jo Anne Cannon, expressed displeasure with the results following the vote. She, along with 10 other candidates vying for the seat, did not receive any votes.

"I shared his vision," she said. "I am the only person who shared his innermost thoughts. When Hugh Cannon ran last fall, none of these people ran against him."

Jo Anne Cannon said she felt the vote was "a political prize that had been bandied about."

Fishburne would not comment on the politics of the decision.

"That's (the delegation's) business. Mine is helping the county," she said.

Fishburne said her first order of business would be to meet with Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson to discuss Charleston County school issues.

Afterward, Fielding was disappointed but optimistic about her future with the county school system.

"It was a very interesting process and a very interesting experience," Fielding said of running for the seat. "It only strengthens my desire to continue improving education in Charleston County."

Fielding, a supervisor and realty specialist at Southern Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command, is a former board of directors member and committee chairperson of the Junior League of Charleston. She is the daughter of a former district teacher and administrator.

Cannon retired several years ago after 19 years with the district. She spent the last 17 of those years as the librarian for Rivers Middle School downtown.

The delegation's recommendation moves on to Gov. Mark Sanford, who officially will make the appointment. The appointee will serve until the November 2006 general election, as dictated by the law that created the school district. The winner of that race will serve the remaining two years of Cannon's term.

HOW THEY VOTED

The final voting of the Charleston County Legislative Delegation to fill the vacant downtown seat on the school board:

Voting for Lurline Fishburne were nearly all Republicans:

Rep. John Graham Altman III, Rep. Tom Dantzler, Rep. Ben Hagood, Rep. Bobby Harrell, Rep. Chip Limehouse, Rep. Jim Merrill, Rep. Wallace Scarborough, Sen. Chip Campsen, Sen. Ray Cleary (Democrat), Sen. Larry Grooms, Sen. Glenn McConnell and Sen. Randy Scott

Voting for Thuane Fielding were all Democrats:

Rep. Floyd Breeland, Rep. Robert Brown, Rep. David Mack, Rep. Vida Miller, Rep. Seth Whipper, Sen. Robert Ford and Sen. Clementa Pinckney.