Republican Lisa Dunning, 34, an emergency medical technician from Cross, is running against Democrat Joe Jefferson, 57, former county magistrate and school board member from Pineville, for the District 102 seat.

Gourdine, a Democrat, said he decided not to run for re-election after four terms in order to give more time to his family and the church he pastors. The district covers most of the rural, northern end of the county, in an arc around Lake Moultrie from Cainhoy through St. Stephen to New Hope.

Jefferson wants to put state lottery money into public schools to bolster student performance.

"Teachers are underpaid, overworked. I don't think you'll see drastic improvement in test scores until you get them some help," he said. "You can't expect teachers to stand on their feet all day and then grade papers until 11 at night."

Dunning wants to give parents the option of choosing schools using per-student state education money.

"The public school is a 'one size fits all' establishment. Some people may feel that size doesn't fit their children," she said.

Dunning says the money the state spends attracting large corporations that don't stay could be better spent offering incentives such as tax exemptions for the first five years of operating for businesses that start up in the state.

"They live here. They work here. They're invested emotionally in South Carolina," she said.Jefferson wants to recruit "sustaining" companies that bring more jobs, and to improve quality of life with improvements to infrastructure such as roads and bridges, teen pregnancy education, health care and alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders.

Jefferson, whose political experience includes 9-1/2 years as a staff member for former Rep. Mendel J. Davis, emphasizes a resume of public service.

Dunning emphasizes an understanding of constituent needs from her experience as an EMT and Whiteville Fire Department volunteer. She said she "has not been a fan of the political process" but agrees with the reform efforts of Gov. Mark Sanford. "There's so many things we can do."

S.C. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 102

REPUBLICAN LISA DUNNING

AGE: 34

RESIDENCE: Cross

FAMILY: Single

EDUCATION: attended University of South Carolina, 1988-1992

PHONE/E-MAIL: 1-843-753-7447; lisa dunning2@excite.com

OCCUPATION: Emergency medical technician, Whitesville Fire Department volunteer

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None

DEMOCRAT JOSEPH JEFFERSON

AGE: 57

RESIDENCE: Pineville

FAMILY: Wife, Deloris Livingstone Jefferson, 3 children

EDUCATION: Claflin University, B.S. Biology, 1970

PHONE/E-MAIL: 1-843-567-4386; joejefferson@TDS.net

OCCUPATION: Retired, 32-year Department of Defense employee

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: 4 years, Berkeley County magistrate; 11 years, Berkeley County School Board member; 9-1/2 years; staff for Rep. Mendel J. Davis; 4 years, S.C. Highway Commission

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