Richardson, Holleman Campaign In Lexington

BY BILL WEST

Listen to the teachers, they have the answers. 

That was the message brought to Lexington County Democrats last Saturday. Frank Holleman brought his campaign for State Superintendent of Education to an overflow crowd at county Democrat Party headquarters. 

“High quality, early childhood education may well be our most effective tool to close the achievement gap and to increase high school graduation rates,” the former Deputy U.S. Secretary of Education under Dick Riley said. 

He told a receptive audience, “Noted economists have determined that investments in high quality early childhood initiatives yield great financial returns to the community as a whole, reducing costs in special education, social services, and law enforcement while increasing tax payments by successful high school graduates, college graduates, and employees.”

Holleman is skeptical of political strategies for this election that are not based on putting public education teachers, principals and students first. 

Speaking about his opponent’s lack of support for four-year-old kindergarten, he said, “The last thing we need is a Superintendent of Education who does not understand the basics of early childhood research and who opposes one of our most effective education strategies.” 

Matthew Richardson, Democrat candidate for Attorney General, told the county Democrats he would put justice and the rule of law ahead of politics. “I will be the people’s lawyer,” he said to a thunderous applause. 

The grandson of one of South Carolina’s toughest judges, Bubba Ness of Bamberg, said he learned from the jurist about the importance of  “preparation, desire and loyalty”. 

State House District 69 candidate Jan Crangle and District 87 candidate Pete Oliver presented their campaign appeals to the receptive audience. 

Kathy Hensley, county party chair, was excited with the turnout and the prospect of adding Democrats to state government, said: “With excellent and prepared candidates, we are offering the citizens of South Carolina an opportunity to increase the credibility of government leadership.”