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Web posted Wednesday,
November 3, 2004
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BOE
getting two new faces
BEAUFORT COUNTY: David
Chase, Stu Rodman led with only absentee ballots
uncounted.
By Erinn McGuire
Carolina Morning News
There
will be two new faces on the Beaufort County Board
of Education.
Unofficial results for
District 10 indicated veteran architect David
Chase the winner with 242 more votes than
incumbent Al Stern.
However, absentee
ballots had still not been counted late Tuesday.
Chase credited his hard work and
personally staking 230 signs around the southern
part of the county.
"Exposure is more
important than anything," especially when running
against an incumbent, he said. "My wife and I have
worked very hard since May," he said. "We've spent
a lot of money, time and effort."
Stern,
who served as the School Board Finance Committee
chairman, said, "The real loser isn't me, but the
children."
After receiving a recorded
message from Gov. Mark Sanford supporting Chase on
Monday, Stern, a lifelong Republican, said he was
surprised and disappointed by the last-minute
campaigning from a state-level official for a
local race candidate, especially in a nonpartisan
race.
"I think it stinks," he said Monday.
"What it says is that we don't trust locals to
make a decision. It's really a sad
day."
Chase said he only sought out
endorsements after Stern was endorsed by a county
councilwoman.
Chase isn't the only School
Board member Sanford endorsed.
The governor
encouraged District 3 newcomer Stu Rodman to run
for the 11-member board, according to Rodman's
campaign literature.
With all but the
absentee ballots counted Tuesday, Rodman led by
323 votes against opponent Chuck
Ford.
Rodman, who has never run for public
office, would replace Flo Rosse, vice chairman of
the Board of Education.
Wary of fully
declaring a victory, Rodman said at 8:45 p.m.
Tuesday, "If I'm elected, I'm happy to have the
opportunity to serve the community and I trust
that I can make a contribution to the education of
our children and do it in a fiscally responsible
manner."
Even with absentee ballots
uncounted, Ford was pretty sure they wouldn't tip
a win in his direction.
Regardless, he was
upbeat Tuesday night.
"I had a great time,"
he said of his campaign. "I really think that Stu
will do a good job. He'll be fine person for the
board and bring some clarity to the board. I wish
him the best of luck."
Incumbent Laura Bush
is once again District 4's representative. The
long-time School Board member has served for 14
years, four of those as chairwoman.
Bush
said she believes voters chose her again because
of her knowledge of the issues and her exposure in
and around the community.
"We've got a lot
work to do though," she said. "I have to hit the
ground running."
Bush's opponent, Jane
Kiser, a part-time substitute teacher and
counselor, was quick to pass on good wishes to
Bush.
"Congratulations to Laura," she
said.
When asked if she would ever run for
an elected office again, Kiser said, "I don't
know, I enjoyed it though. I enjoyed getting to
know people and talking to them about the
education system."
District 6 incumbent
Earl Campbell was not challenged for his
Dale/Lobeco seat. He is currently the board's
chairman.
Reporter Erinn McGuire can be
reached at 837-5255, ext. 107, or
erinn.mcguire@lowcountrynow.com
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