Tuesday, 1:15 p.m. "I have lived in the Swansea area all my life," says Sadie Wannamaker. "I have friends that our parents were friends, we are friends, our children are friends and our grandchildren are friends."

She is very active in the community, and now wants to serve it in the House.

She is a political novice, as is her opponent — Kit Spires, the man who defeated the vastly more qualified incumbent Republican Ken Clark in the primaries, with significant help from the out-of-state anti-public school radicals pushing PPIC. The difference between her and Mr. Spires?

"The biggest would be my strong support of public education," she said. "I don’t think we need it destroyed by any outside influence."

"I have known him all my life," she said of her opponent. "He and I are total opposites" in terms of the ability to communicate and work with other people. Mr. Spires is a pharmacist. Mrs. Wannamaker was female state employee of the year; she spent 31 years working for DHEC.

She is modest about her understanding of legislative issues, but it appears to be greater than Mr. Spires‘. He said repeatedly during the primaries that his one big issue was cutting property taxes, but he was utterly unaware of what proposals the General Assembly was considering along those lines. Regarding what DID come out of the Legislature, Mrs. Wannamaker said, "I’m glad that something was passed, but it might have been too hasty." Showing more knowledge than she admits, she observed that the compromise "may have shifted it to where the businesses will have to pay more taxes, which will defeat our purposes of trying to bring in more" economic development, which her district sorely needs.

She is unintimidated by Mr. Spires’ recent victory. "I’m excited about this challenge," she said. "I think I have a good chance."

Why?

"I’m known in the community," she said, and added significantly: "He is, too — but I’m known in the community."

Polite to the end, she said, "I do want to thank you for this interview," but "I am glad that we’re almost concluding it."

Finally, she said, "I’m running this campaign by faith. I’m led to do this." She referred us to Proverbs 3:5, which, I admit, I had to look up.

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