Veteran planning commission member to take Horry County School District’s sixth seat

A member of the Horry County Planning Commission will take over the Horry County School District’s sixth seat, after unofficial results poured in from Tuesday’s election.

Pam Dawson, a Republican, has won against Libertarian Steve Witt, a district parent, with 8,294 to 1,405 votes according to unofficial results with 100% of precincts reporting.

“I’m very honored and humbled the voters of district six have placed their faith in me and I’m excited to work alongside the next board members,” Dawson said. District six covers parts of Carolina Forest, Socastee and St. James.

Dawson currently serves as a volunteer member of the Horry County Planning Commission, representing district six. She previously served as an appointed volunteer on the Horry County Parks and Open Space board.

When asked why she decided to run for office, Dawson said that the district’s top priority should be to support growth, build facilities, attract, retain and support our teachers.

“To meet the needs of our students, teachers, administration, parents and community in our fast-paced growth, our schools must update long-range facilities plans, consider land acquisition, develop reasonable funding mechanisms, and create capital expenditure programs that are effective and fiscally conservative,” Dawson told the Sun News in a questionnaire. “I believe my skills and experience enable me to be an effective board member from day one.”

Witt, with 14.38% of current votes said that he would consider running again in the future.

I don’t think a lot of people know what goes into a campaign,” Witt said. “This has definitely been a learning experience for me.”

County election officials will certify the results in the upcoming days.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 10:48 PM.