CODY SOSSAMON PUBLISHER Small town politics is so much more personal than any other type of election. And that makes it that much more interesting.

In the majority of these local elections, the voters know those seeking office.

Not so in statewide elections and even some federal races.

For instance, in yesterday’s runoff election, I did not have a clue about the candidates for superintendent of education or lieutenant governor. or lieutenant governor. The only reason I had some inkling about the attorney general race is that both candidates campaigned in Gaffney and came by the Ledger office while here.

My knowledge — or lack thereof — of these candidates is probably typical for most voters around the state. That in and of itself is more than enough reason to make most of the statewide offices cabinet positions appointed by the governor. The way it is now, they are elected by the majority who have absolutely no idea for whom they are voting.

That won’t happen anytime soon because our state representatives and senators don’t want to give the governor any more power than the office currently carries.

That’s politics.

But back to the knowing who to vote for. In local elections, we voters usually have a clear-cut reason for voting the way we do. It usually boils down to one or two things.

1. We like something the incumbent has done and we vote to keep them in office.

2. We don’t like something the incumbent has done and we vote to replace them.

Sometimes, it comes down to personalities or some other such variable, but for most of us, reasons one or two are the driving force behind our decisions.

In a conversation yesterday about the upcoming school board race, I was told Amanda Knowles and Lindley Auton would both be defeated and defeated badly.

Why, I asked? “People don’t like what’s been happening.”

“For instance...”

“They don’t like the way they got rid of Bill James. They don’t like the way they did Andy (Jones) and Phil (Strickland).”

On counts one and two, those would be reasons I’d vote FOR them, although I don’t believe for a minute these two trustees got “rid” of anybody.

True enough, the mood of the board had swung against the superintendent, but it was simply time for James to move on. Period.

As for Andy Jones, does anyone really believe he should have been holding the second-highest position in our school district? Case closed.

Now what about Phil?

What did they “do” to him? The only answer I got was something about him being badgered about tickets. Come on. In the first place, what athletic director of any successful sports program doesn’t get beaten up over tickets? Additionally, when the new stadium was built, numerous longtime ticket holders were upset about the seating assignments.

Another key factor, I think, in Phil’s departure had nothing to do with anything the trustees did or didn’t do. It’s no secret his wife was not enamored with Gaffney. What’s the saying? “If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.”

My friend might be right. Auton and Knowles might get defeated and defeated badly. With all this incumbent backlash, anyone currently in office should be duly concerned.

On the other hand, my friend could be wrong. They both might be re-elected.

They shouldn’t be voted out of office because of the reasons my friend cited, however, those issues will probably be a key factor in the August election.

Some good, qualified people have signed up to run against both of these incumbents. Maybe, just maybe, the voters in these districts will focus on the candidates and the issues rather than basing their decision on rumors and innuendoes.

Don’t get me wrong, the departure of the superintendent and football coach are issues, just as is the demotion of the district’s number 2 man. The circumstances surrounding these issues are the rumors and innuendoes to which I refer.

Cody Sossamon (cody@gaffneyledger.com) is publisher of The Gaffney Ledger.