Parker won the Republican primary Tuesday with 62 percent of the vote (1,672 to 1,013), setting up a showdown with Democratic challenger Eric Hayler in the November general election.

Parker ended a string of eight consecutive terms for Davenport, who had defeated Parker by nine votes two years ago to keep his seat.

Throughout their campaign, Parker and Davenport have been at odds over Davenport’s original proposal to merge the seven county school districts into four, and then again over Davenport’s revised plan to establish one administrative district office with one board of education representing the entire county.

“I think (the results) say that the people appreciate the fact that we stress local control in our area, that they’re proud of their schools and that we like that local contact with our school board members, parents and educators,” said Parker, who celebrated at a post-primary gathering at Chernagan’s Cafe in Boiling Springs. “I think that’s what it boiled down to – what the parents value, what the teachers value, what our community values. I think we found out tonight that they really value their schools.”

Davenport agreed that the issue of school consolidation sealed it for Parker.

“I think they voted against consolidation,” Davenport said. “(My plan) was taken all out of context and used in many different ways and right now people aren’t ready for that sort of thing. That’s fine, because it (consolidation) is coming. What we were trying to do is head it off as best we could and it didn’t resonate. That was the whole campaign.”

He added, “As far as my years of service in the House, I never have been ashamed of anything that I’ve done.

“Everything that I have done has been for the public, and I can assure anybody that I’ve never put a dime in my pocket, I’ve never abused the system or my position,” Davenport said.

“It is perfectly fine that this happened. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. This constituency wants (Parker’s) efforts, and more power to him.”

Looking ahead to the general election, Parker said his work is far from over.

“I’m very appreciative of all my supporters, and I will work hard for the November election,” he said.

“Their support will be equally important, if not more so, because I think it will be a tough fight in November, and I think we’re going to have to work twice as hard as we’ve worked here,” Parker said.

It kicks off the final full week of campaigning before the June 10 primary.

All candidates in contested state and local races were invited to Wofford College’s Leonard Auditorium Sunday – 28 in all. But as candidates and their families came and went, there were fewer than 30 people in the audience at any given time. At the end of the day, 16 participated.

Topics ranged from the environment to public transportation, and from spending caps to public education funding.

A snapshot of some of the answers:

House District 37 candidate Steve Parker said the state needs to look more at solar power and nuclear energy to combat rising energy costs. He also said the name “South Carolina Education Lottery” makes him sick, because “it’s sending the message to our kids that it’s OK to gamble.”

Sunday’s forum was sponsored by the local League of Women Voters, News Channel 7, Upstate Forever, and 107.3 JAMZ.

By Jason Spencer
Published: Monday, June 2, 2008 | Updated: 10:06 am

House District 37
Steve Parker: “I do not support giving taxpayer money to private schools, and the reason – especially in my district – is that nobody in our district would qualify. You have to have a failing district before you can have anybody qualify, so I would not want to be sending our tax dollars down to the lower part of the state.”

Ralph Davenport (incumbent): “I support it to a degree. Let’s say we have a system that might be failing or mediocre, I think vouchers increase competition and competition helps increase performance. Private and public school test (scores) seem to rise for students who move from mediocre or failing schools to a successful one, and I think that’s what vouchers are all about. I don’t think it truly hurts public education at all.”

By Gary Glancy
Published: Monday, June 2, 2008 | Updated: 9:39 am

Steve is a former high school teacher and coach and is well aware of the importance of being prepared and doing his homework. He will consider all legislation and make sure District 37 voices are valued in Columbia. He has proven to me by his work on Spartanburg County Council that he takes his responsibility seriously, and he will do the same when representing the voters of District 37. He will not attempt to take property needed for future education and make it public property. In other words, Steve believes if it doesn’t belong to you, then don’t try to take it.

After leaving the employment of School District 2, Steve started a painting and seal coating company, thereby becoming a successful small business operator, learning all of the good and bad of being in business for yourself and learning that any successful business – whether private or state – must be conservative and not spend our tax money for projects that won’t benefit this district. I have heard Gov. Mark Sanford say small business operators employ more people in South Carolina than large businesses, thereby making a stronger economy.

Steve promises he will never vote for school district consolidation or allow special-interest groups to change his vote. District 37 will be well represented by Steve Parker.

Carl Guest
Spartanburg

A crowd of about 115 supporters gathered outside Chernagan’s Cafe in Boiling Springs to help Parker launch his campaign and share a meal. Parker, 56, is so far the only Republican to file for the seat now held by Rep. Ralph Davenport, R-Boiling Springs. Eric Hayler filed for the Democrats.

Parker is the owner of Steve Parker Painting and Seal Coating. He ended a one-term stint on County Council in 2006, and before that, served one term on the Spartanburg School District 2 Board of Trustees.

“It’s time for me to once again give back to my community by giving my time and energy to becoming the next District 37 state representative that cares about Boiling Springs, that will be involved in Boiling Springs and will show up so you’ll know who your representative is,” Parker told the crowd to loud applause.

Parker emphasized the need for local control when it comes to education. He taught in the public school system for 20 years and is co-founder of Save Our Local Voice in Education, or SOLVE, which opposes school district consolidation. Davenport, who is yet to file, drafted a bill that would have consolidated several Spartanburg County school districts, but he didn’t introduce the legislation.

“I don’t want anybody else telling us how to run our schools,” he said. “I promise I will never vote to consolidate the seven districts of Spartanburg County.”

If elected, Parker said he would work to boost the local economy. The state, he said, must increase awareness of the needs of small businesses and become more competitive in the global market.

Parker also said he supports permanent tax cuts and promised to be tough on drunken drivers, criminal domestic violence and crimes against children.

“I commit to you today that when elected, I will be a representative, not a legislator,” Parker said. “Legislation will flow from my pen as your voice going to Columbia and not from Columbia back to you.”

Former student and current neighbor Sheryl Watts said she’s been especially impressed with Parker’s points on school consolidation and road maintenance.

“We believe in what he does. We believe he will act for Boiling Springs,” Watts said. “He’s action-oriented. He does what he says he’s going to do.”

Boiling Springs resident Scott Pruitt said he is ready for a change in representation. Pruitt also said he’s concerned about school consolidation and believes Parker is the man best suited to speak against it.

“He’s always been very accessible and active in the community,” Pruitt added.

Parker lives in Boiling Springs with his wife, Rita. He is the founder of the Helping Hands Club, an organization that donates to families of the terminally ill, and is a charter member of the Boiling Springs chapter of the Kiwanis Club.

By Lee Gray
Published: Friday, March 28, 2008

Parker will make his announcement at 6 p.m. at Chernagan’s Cafe, 3409 Boiling Springs Road. After the announcement, free dinner will be provided for those who are there, according to a statement released Wednesday by Parker’s campaign. The event is free and open to the public.

Parker has been widely expected to run for this seat, having co-founded a group opposing a school district consolidation bill introduced – and later withdrawn- by Davenport earlier this year. He lost to Davenport two years ago by just a nine votes.

Davenport has said he will run for re-election, but has not yet filed. Filing closes at noon Sunday.

From staff reports
Published: Thursday, March 27, 2008

There are two slightly different versions of the fliers, but both target the same thing – legislation state Rep. Ralph Davenport says he will introduce to consolidate the seven school districts in Spartanburg County into four, all of which would be overseen by a single chief executive officer.

The fliers include a detachable note, addressed to Davenport, asking him to abandon the bill. All a person has to do is sign it and put a stamp on it.

Davenport has temporarily pulled his bill, a move that came after the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce said it wanted to have nothing to do with consolidation. Davenport’s original plan called for a seven-member financial management council to oversee the school districts and would have given the chamber the power to appoint three people to that group.

“This bill has not been withdrawn. This bill has been just pigeonholed while he does more research,” said Steve Parker, who is widely expected to challenge Davenport for his House seat. Parker challenged Davenport two years ago and lost by only nine votes.

“We’re going to continue our fight to do everything to make sure that consolidation does not happen in Spartanburg’s seven districts.”

Parker is one of three co-founders of a group called Save Our Local Voice in Education, or SOLVE.

The group has held one rally in Boiling Springs and helped out with a second anti-consolidation rally in Woodruff. A third rally is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Byrnes High School cafeteria.

The anti-consolidation group spent $12,000 or more on the fliers, Parker said. About 7,000 were mailed out in Spartanburg School District 2. Another 6,000, with a slightly different message – but the same three photographs of adorable children on the front – were mailed out across the rest of the county. And another 2,000 were printed to be handed out, Parker said.

Parker used Trevett’s Mailing Service in Columbia to handle the bulk mail piece.

The money spent on the mail-outs doesn’t include the costs of several large anti-consolation signs that have sprouted along Highway 9 or the few colorful banners the group has bought or the large sign that supporters haul around town in the back of a truck.

Parker, in a phone interview from Florida, wasn’t able to say how much money his group has raised, but he said he would make a list of contributors available to the Herald-Journal within the next couple of weeks.

Along with Parker, SOLVE was co-founded by Eric Stuttz and Gary Coats. They say they only found out about Davenport’s consolidation plan a few weeks ago in a Herald-Journal report and have since begun working on attaining nonprofit status.

They often cite data that shows a lower cost per pupil in most Spartanburg districts than in consolidated school districts in Greenville, Charleston, Cherokee, Horry and Union counties. They also like to play up the high rankings some school districts get here on the state report card, compared to school systems in single-district counties.

By Jason Spencer
Published: Wednesday, March 5, 2008