Cheney to take petition route

Independent by petition.  That is the route that an Oconeean has decided will be his best if he’s to make the ballot next year for South Carolina governor.  Fair Play resident and former Oconee director of libraries Phil Cheney today announced he’s going to try to gather at least 10,000 signatures from across the state to qualify him for a spot on next November’s ballot for governor.  Not a Republican and identified as a Democrat, Cheney says the Democratic Party “has virtually anointed Representative James Smith as its standard-bearer for the office of Governor in 2018.”  Cheney admits that makes him “sort of an outsider.”  But that slot has some advantage.  For instance, Cheney won’t have to pay a party filing fee, which he welcomes in line with what he plans as a low-cost campaign.  Cheney says he doesn’t think a Democrat, nor a Republican, can make the changes that are necessary in the state.