Danielle Vinson talks local politics in The Post and Courier Greenville

Danielle Vinson, Furman University alum and professor of politics and international affairs, spoke about local politics in two articles appearing in The Post and Courier Greenville. In a story published May 27, she offered her insights about state lawmakers’ surprise decision to enforce nonpartisan elections. While partisan politics rarely impact City Council votes, Vinson said the move is still consequential. Voters will increasingly need to ferret out the issues or background they may share with a candidate rather than voting on party affiliation alone, she told The Post and Courier.

In a Post and Courier piece that ran on June 15, Vinson commented on the phenomenon of incumbent County Council members being ousted from office. Incumbents normally have the upper hand in elections, but when times are difficult, voters will voice their frustration at the polls. “If everybody’s fed up with politics, if everybody’s frustrated with County Council, or if everybody’s frustrated with Congress, they may just turn against incumbents,” Vinson said. “We’re definitely in the, ‘We’re mad at everybody who’s currently in office,’ sort of political environment,” she added.