Ellis campaign concedes in SC Superintendent of Education race

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Lisa Ellis issued a statement Wednesday morning conceding the Superintendent of Education race.

The statement said,

“Thank you to everyone who has put in the work on this campaign, who has worked endless hours to speak with voters, plan events, and speak out online. I called my opponent this morning to congratulate her on a well-run race. While the results are not what we wanted, we know we made a huge impact on this state.”

“We will continue to stay persistent and continue to fight for every student to have a high-quality education in our state. We will continue to fight for teachers, school staff, administrators, and everyone involved in our school systems.”

“We have mobilized voters across our state who previously did not feel their voice mattered; we have given teachers and families a choice in who represents them and empowered them to use their voice. We will continue to fight, and I hope that all of us have an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the accomplishments we have made.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Democratic candidate for South Carolina Superintendent of Education Lisa Ellis declined to give any comment Tuesday evening after results showed her trailing GOP candidate Ellen Weaver.

Her campaign told journalists a statement would be issued Wednesday morning.

The results have not been finalized, but at the time of this writing, Ellis trailed Weaver by 12 percentage points (54.5 to 43.8).

It’s unclear if Ellis plans to concede or take different actions.

Weaver has faced scrutiny over the circumstances of her master’s degree, which was earned during the campaign in an expedited timeframe. The degree is a requirement for the position.

WIS asked Ellis about a possible challenge over the master’s degree earlier in the evening.

“I think first and foremost we’re hoping that it doesn’t come to that, and I come out with a victory and so we don’t have to worry about it. I think moving forward we just have to look at the options to see what is best for the leadership of South Carolina, and that may look like litigation, but it just really depends,” she said.

It’s unclear if Ellis has any plans to pursue litigation on the issue.

During the campaign, Ellis ran on her credentials as a teacher and activist.

She founded SC for Ed, an advocacy group which has pushed for higher teacher pay and improved working conditions.

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Ellis was also an outspoken opponent of school choice vouchers, arguing they pull financial resources from public schools. Additionally, she argued for increased funding for public schooling and pushed for infrastructure solutions for school safety.

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