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One of Columbia’s longest-serving school board members is resigning from his seat.
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Jamie Devine, who was elected to the Richland County School District 1 more than 17 years ago, is pursuing a seat on Richland County Council, for which he is running unopposed.
Throughout his tenure, Devine served as chair of the Richland 1 board in 2013, 2019 and 2020, as well as vice chairman in 2012, 2017 and 2018. He is currently the board’s parliamentarian.
“Serving the students, families, educators, and taxpayers of Richland County School District One has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Devine wrote in a news release. “I am deeply grateful for the trust the community has placed in me over the past 17 years.”
According to a news release, Devine is “optimistic” about the future of the school district, as well as the board’s leadership.
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Devine’s resignation is effective in November.
Devine, an advocate for public school choice and school safety, was first elected in 2008.
What will happen to his school board seat?
Devine was reelected to a four-year term in 2024. By the time of his departure this upcoming fall, there will be two years left.
According to Travis Alexander, director of the Richland County elections office, filing for the seat will begin three weeks from Devine’s notice, which was submitted on Monday. Filing will be open for seven days. Then voters will choose candidates while filing out their ballots for the 2026 general election in the fall.
Devine’s District 2 seat was hotly contested during the last election, with three challengers seeking to beat the incumbent. While Devine won just shy of 34% of the vote, one of his opponents, Stephen Diaz, lost by a margin of about 4%.
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