Navy veteran, local journalist isn’t on the ballot, but wants seat on Beaufort Co. School Board
In November, when it’s time to vote for the Beaufort County School Board, Gwyneth Saunders’ name won’t be on the ballot, but she still wants to be the District 5 representative.
Saunders, a U.S. Navy veteran, filed as a write-in candidate at the end of September because there are no candidates on the ballot for District 5. However, Saunders will be facing one other write-in candidate, Cynthia Hayes.
Hayes is a faculty supervisor for the University of Phoenix who has worked in Beaufort Co. education for 31 years.
“The fact that no one is [officially] running for a seat is shocking,” Saunders said. “It could be because nobody realized the district had been redistricted.”
Current District 5 representative Richard Geier will now represent District 4 after the county redrew the boundaries following the 2020 census. Geier will run unopposed.
Beaufort County School District 5 represents people in the Okatie, Burton and Shell Point areas.
Saunders has lived in Sun City for over 14 years and works as a freelance journalist.
If elected, Saunders won’t stop working as journalist, but will stop reporting on local education, she said.
“I just may not be doing a lot of school stories because that might be seen as a conflict of interest,” Saunders said. “It may depend on what the stories are, but they’re very protective up there and I understand that.”
She said she wants to prioritize teachers.
“I want to support almost anything that helps our teachers do their jobs,” Saunders said when asked what her priorities would be. “Whether it’s encouraging more school volunteers to help get equipment or technology they need or lobby for an increase in pay and benefits.”
As a write-in candidate she faces certain challenges that those on the ballot don’t.
“The challenge I will have is getting people to remember my name and to write my name [in] because writing is not a normal process. “You’re not going to see that there’s no name [on the ballot] and won’t know I’m running.”
In order for a vote for Saunders to be recorded, her name must be spelled fully and correctly.
Elections for the board will take place Nov. 8 in South Carolina’s general election.
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 5:05 PM.
