Horry County Schools will get a new chair, fresh faces. Here’s a look at who’s in.
South Carolina’s third largest school district, an $890 million operation that educates 45,000 students, is getting a major shakeup following Tuesday’s primary. Along with a new chairperson, voters chose to add several new faces who will help guide district policy in Horry County.
The GOP-dominated board means primary winners face uncontested paths toward a seat on the board, which pays its members $20,000 a year.
Primary election results will be unofficial until Thursday, the deadline for counties to certify their results and report then to the South Carolina Election Commission. The state will then certify election results on Friday. Any hand-count audits of county-level results must happen on Wednesday. In the event of a candidate not receiving 50% plus-one votes, they will head to a run-off election. Those will be held June 28, and polls will be open all day.
Horry County School board chair race
Current District 4 representative David Cox will face a runoff against District 6 board member Helen Smith. Cox took 41 percent of the vote to Smith’s 34 percent.
Cox won an early endorsement from outgoing board chairman Ken Richardson, who opted not to seek another term as he looked to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Rice in the 7th congressional district race.
Cox has served on the school board since 2008, when he represented District 9, a portion of western Horry County between Conway and Loris. He later moved to Myrtle Beach where he won re-election in District 4, which includes a portion of Myrtle Beach and parts of Socastee and Surfside Beach. Cox resides in the Market Commons area.
Smith previously served as chairwoman from 1996 through 2002. Her District 6 covers Carolina Forest, Socastee and the St. James area. She was first elected to the school board in 1982.
District 1
David Koch, a political newcomer, ran unopposed for the seat that covers Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. He’ll replace W. Russell Freeman, who didn’t file for re-election. Koch is director of young adult serves at Sea Haven, a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth.
A Longs resident, Koch previously told The Sun News he plans to look into curriculum changes and district programs that can be strengthened to rebuild trust between the school system and its constituents.
District 2
Debbie Edmonds will take over the seat covering Briarcliffe and parts of Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach after defeating incumbent Sherrie Todd with 53 percent of the vote. Edmonds worked as a teacher and small business owner, and she has been an assistant principal at three Horry County Schools. In her campaign announcement, Edmonds opposed national politics’ influence on local education decisions.
District 3
Incumbent Tracy Winters, who filled this seat covering parts of Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach in November following the death of her husband Ray from complications of COVID-19, won a full term of her own, fending off challenger Lorraine Mallon by taking 53 percent of the vote.
District 6
Current Horry County Planning Commission member Pam Dawson coasted to a win with 70 percent of the vote against challenger Lyn Bondi in a seat left open by the departure of Helen Smith.
District 7
Incumbent Janet Graham didn’t draw a primary opponent and ran as the only Democrat for an open seat on the board. Her district covers Carolina Forest and Conway. A decade into her tenure, Graham has served on the board’s policy committee and as the Pee Dee regional representative on the state School Board Association.
District 8
Incumbent Melanie Wellons easily made it past challenger James W. Berry ran for the seat representing Carolina Forest, Conway and Forestbrook., with 62 percent of the vote.
Wellons was appointed to the board in April 2021 after the death of John Poston. She wants to see the district strengthen its now-discontinued virtual program.
District 10
Current board vice chairman Neil James beat Horry County Schools parent David Warner, parent of an autistic child who has been a vocal advocate for students with disabilities, capturing 56 percent of the vote in a district that includes parts of Conway, Carolina Forest, Green Sea Floyds and Loris.
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 6:00 PM.