SC’S TOP EDUCRAT CONSIDERING GUBERNATORIAL BID

South Carolina’s educrat-in-chief says he won’t run again for state schools superintendent next year, ending a horrendous first term and possibly costing Democrats their only Constitutional officer.

Jim Rex told voters at a town-hall-style meeting in Orangeburg Wednesday he would not seek re-election as superintendent in 2010 but said he is considering a run for governor.

“I have decided that I will not seek re-election to the Office of State Superintendent of Education in 2010, regardless of whether or not I decide to run for Governor,” said Rex in a statement following the town hall. “I’m going to make a decision in two weeks.”

The Fairfield County Democrat took office in January 2007 and has proceeded to run the state education department into the ground by turning public schools into what he refers to as “dropout factories.”

Rumors of his gubernatorial aspirations have been circulating for months now.

If he were to run for governor, he would face a tough field of Democrat opponents including State Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden, Columbia lobbyist Dwight Drake, State Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston and Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod.

Rex’s departure from the superintendent’s race opens the field to Democrats and affords a would-be Republican challenger the luxury of not having to run against an incumbent.