Calhoun projected winner of Charleston Co. School Board special election

Preliminary voting results from the election show Daron Calhoun II will be filling that position.
Published: Feb. 7, 2023 at 5:57 PM EST|Updated: Feb. 7, 2023 at 11:39 PM EST
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CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County voters chose who they’d like to see fill the empty District 6 school board seat.

Preliminary voting results from the election show Daron Calhoun II will be filling that position.

This special election comes nearly three months after the general election in November when Erica Cokley won reelection in District 6, encompassing a large part of West Ashley. Cokley, who attempted to leave the race before election day, never showed up to be sworn in and therefore her seat was forfeited.

Running in the special election is Lee Runyon, a former principal at West Ashley High School and the runner-up in the November election. Runyon has spent more than three decades in a wide variety of roles in Charleston schools, from PE teacher and coach to principal and administrator. He says he’s ready to tackle some of the district’s biggest issues.

“I think the first priority is getting involved in the superintendent search process,” Runyon said. “That’s really the front burner item that needs to be addressed.”

His opponent is Daron Lee Calhoun II is the current vice chair of the constituent school board for the West Ashley district and an employee at the College of Charleston. He works in the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the college and says the district needs to look at how it handles student discipline.

“I really want to start looking at our discipline placements,” Calhoun said. “We have an issue right now with our Turning Point Academy and some of our other disposition options that I would like to see solved.”

The Charleston County Elections office there were 81 votes ahead of election day through absentee and early voting. Polls close at 7 p.m.