Kelly

  While I was working on Andre's campaign, a mutual friend asked me if I would consider also working on a woman's bid to be the State Superintendent of Education.  Her name was Kelly Payne, and she was a school teacher in the Dutch Fork area near Columbia.  I went out to meet with her and strategize how we could try to get her to win.  I was impressed with her and said I would help.

 The launching of her campaign was at Edventure in Columbia.  We had a good event planned, except we didn't plan on pouring rain outside.  We had to move everything inside, and I got the attendees names and addresses, when they entered the building.  It was a good crowd with a lot of enthusiasm.  She was very charismatic.  

 I did two out of town events with her.  The first was in Hartsville.  It was on a Saturday, and we had it in a park near downtown.  I rode with the guy who introduced me to her.  We went by Darlington, and I saw the famous speedway.  It was a lot smaller than I had pictured it to be.  We rode around Hartsville, and I saw Coker College.  I think my father took some teaching classes there.  When we go to the park, my friend locked his keys in the car.  He called AAA, but it took them a while to get there.  The nearest AAA office was 50 miles away.  We set up our stuff in the park.  There was a makeshift stage already there, and other candidates spoke as well.  All of the volunteers for the candidates outnumbered the attendees, but it was a good event.  The AAA man came, and we were able to leave.

 The other event was in Conway.  It was much bigger, and had a lot more candidates there from around the state.  Some were running for Congress and other races.  We set up signs outside of the old Tobacco barn in downtown Conway.  It was hot.  The barn was hot.  One had to go outside near a river to cool off.  There was a good crowd that came.  Kelly made her speech, and she did a good job.  The problem she had was name recognition.  She was well known in the Columbia area, but not as much around the state.  She didn't win, but she was most appreciative for our work.  She was a class act.  You don't find that a lot in politics.  She would have made a good superintendent.