Dutch Fork teacher running for state superintendent
That was quick. Just after Furman professor Brent Nelsen decided to run for the Republican nomination for state superintendent of education, he’s drawn opposition. According to a post on conservative activist Mike Reino’s blog, Dutch Fork High School teacher Kelly Payne has thrown her hat into the ring.
She’s got a few things working for her, not the least of which is her Internet notoriety. There’s also the quite nice fundraising base of the Columbia suburbs. When we moved from North Carolina and went to DFHS, we were pretty surprised at the number of brand-new Mustangs and BMWs in the student parking lot. If these kids’ parents have the money to drop a very nice car on a first-time driver, they shouldn’t have an issue maxing out to a local candidate.
She hasn’t filed a report with the State Ethics Commission yet, so this looks like a relatively recent decision.
Despite having a classroom teacher in the race, this may be good news for current Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. He will be able to fix his fundraising issues and get ready for the general election while a couple heavy-hitters go at it in the GOP primary.
