Horry County School board race leans to Cox

Horry County School Board Democratic incumbent Ronald Bessant and Republican challenger David Cox were neck and neck at presstime: Both had about 50 percent of the vote.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Cox led Bessant by 105 votes for the seat _ which  covers areas of North Myrtle Beach, Loris, Longs and Nichols.

If Bessant wins, he would become president of the S.C. School Board Association in January.

While Cox ran during the Republican primary on his experience with the school district as an advisory board member, Bessant had a clear edge in experience with the school board, having served for almost 18 years.

Both candidates highlighted their experience handling tough budgets while campaigning for the general
election.

Cox ran on his experience as a businessman and said he would be the only person with company-related budget experience on the board, if he were elected.

Bessant said he would be more able to navigate the current issues with state budget cuts without a steep learning curve because of his years of experience on the school board and working with current board members.

In the end, voters appeared to choose Cox, who will be faced with continuing state budget issues as well as the goals outlined by new Horry County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry last month. Those goals include finding better ways to use space on campuses to accommodate for student growth and
exploring different kinds of school choice, alternative teaching styles available to parents.

Bessant was unavailable for comment Tuesday night but said last week that if he won, he looked forward to continuing to serve.

Cox said Tuesday night: ``I'm flattered that the voters of District 9 have chosen me to serve on the school board. I will do my best to make sure every child gets a quality education.''

It was unclear late Tuesday whether either candidate would seek a recount. If the margin of votes separating two candidates is less than one percent, there is a mandatory recount unless the losing candidate agrees to waive the recount, said Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier.