SC election agency faces more turnover at the helm

COLUMBIA — More leadership turnover at South Carolina’s election agency is certain after its interim director decided she didn’t want the job permanently.

Jenny Wooten decided to withdraw from contention as director of the South Carolina Election Commission as she awaited confirmation by the Senate. 

She was initially put at the helm temporarily in September, after the board voted 3-2 to fire her predecessor. The commission then voted unanimously in December to put Wooten in the role permanently.

She notified commissioners of her decision in a letter dated March 5. She didn’t give a reason.

“It has been an honor to be considered for this role and a privilege to serve the agency and the citizens of South Carolina as Interim Director,” she wrote in the letter addressed to board Chairman Robert Bolchoz.

Wooten, who was previously the agency’s chief of staff, will remain at the helm until the commission appoints a new interim director. 

The board met behind closed doors Monday afternoon to discuss personnel issues.“I remain committed to upholding the agency’s mission, maintaining continuity of operations, and assisting the Commission and stand ready to support the next Executive Director to ensure a smooth transition,” Wooten wrote in her letter provided to the SC Daily Gazette. 

Bolchoz told the Gazette on Tuesday he hopes the commission can interview candidates and make a decision at next week’s meeting. The goal is to get a director confirmed before the legislative session ends.

South Carolina’s party primaries are just three months away. The two-week filing period for candidates to get on this year’s ballots starts Monday.

Nothing changes for candidates and voters, said agency spokesman TJ Lundeen.

“We have full confidence that the agency’s leadership changes will not impact candidate filing or the upcoming primaries,” he said. “The SEC is committed to serving the voters of South Carolina throughout the elections process.”

Bolchoz has been at the agency for less than two months. He was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster in January when former Chairman Dennis Shedd resigned. 

In September, the commission fired then-executive director Howard Knapp and, days later, his deputy director, Paige Salonich.

Knapp was arrested in October on charges of embezzlement and misconduct in office related to his use of state-provided vehicles in 2023. That case is ongoing. 

Shedd also accused Knapp of misrepresenting a $32 million contract for new voting machines ahead of the 2024 elections, though Shedd signed off on a budget request for that amount.  

Last month, Wooten faced questions from a Senate budget-writing panel over those upgrades. She told senators the new equipment worked “very similarly to the old machines.”

But the agency still needs over $21 million from legislators to finish paying for the equipment, she said.

Wooten’s salary as interim director is $140,000, according to the state Department of Administration database. Knapp’s salary was $150,000.

Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette