ANDERSON COUNTY — Anderson County Republican Party Chairman Rick Adkins appears to be the person to beat to represent the county on the South Carolina Board of Education.

Mr. Adkins joined the following in applying by a deadline Monday for appointment to the Circuit 10 seat on the education board:

- Reggie Christopher, the former superintendent of Williamston-based Anderson School District 1

- Tom Allen, a former Anderson County Board of Education member and Home Depot employee

- Cornelious Latimer, former public school educator and administrator with government-supported agriculture programs in Anderson County

- Aleisa Lomax, scheduling technician with Honeywell

The Anderson County delegation to the State Legislature is set to make a decision Jan. 31 about who to appoint to the two years of Ron Wilson’s unexpired term on the board.

The 17-member, nonpartisan education board is the policy-making body for public elementary and secondary education in South Carolina. Circuit 10 covers Anderson and Oconee counties.

Sen. Kevin Bryant of Anderson said he pledged his support to Mr. Adkins some time ago, before the application process ended for the appointment. Sen. Billy O’Dell of Ware Shoals, the other of the two senators in the delegation, said he also is tending toward Mr. Adkins but won’t make a final commitment until the official vote. Sen. O’Dell said he also heard from Mr. Adkins several weeks ago about the board opening.

Both senators and five other members of the county’s eight-person delegation are Republicans. Only Rep. Paul Agnew of Due West is a Democrat.

Delegation procedures indicate that a senator’s vote on the appointment is to be weighted more heavily than a representative’s. So, if the two senators and one representative vote the same way, the person for whom they voted would win appointment, several delegation members said.

Reps. Michael Thompson, Don Bowen and Brian White — all of Anderson — and Rep. Mike Gambrell of Honea Path said Monday they would make their decision about a state education board appointment after reviewing all applications.

Sens. Bryant and O’Dell said Mr. Adkins’ experience as a parent and a businessperson make him a good board candidate in their view.

“Rick is man of outstanding character. I have known him since fifth grade,” Sen. Bryant said.

Both senators also said they are pleased to see that a pool of qualified candidates applied to join the education board.

Mr. Wilson resigned his board seat when he was elected in November 2006 to a seat on the Anderson County Council. The delegation wants to select his successor in time for that person to attend the next education board meeting on Feb. 14, said Rep. White, delegation chairman.

It is difficult for delegation members to meet in Anderson on Mondays or Fridays, Mr. White said, and during the legislative session lawmakers generally are in Columbia on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. So the delegation scheduled a Jan. 31 meeting in Columbia, Mr. White said.