Early start to a campaign

Candidate qualifying for this year’s Oconee school board election is months away, but there’s already at least one roadside sign touting Sawyer Gambrell for the District Four trustee seat.  Gambrell is a bus driver for Clemson Area Transit.  The Gambrell sign is visible on U-S 123/the Toccoa Highway not far from the crossing into Georgia.  The District Four seat is held by Denise McCormick.  The current chair of the trustees, McCormick is eligible to seek re-election.  Besides Seat Four, trustee seats 2 and 5 are also available in the November General Election.  Because the seats are non-partisan and not included in the June primaries, the school board filing period is separate from that of the one for the political primaries.