Dexter Reaves has spent 30 years in Upstate law enforcement (Greer PD, Greenville County Sheriff's deputy, boot camp director) which means he's watched this district up close for three decades, not parachuted in with a consultant and a talking-points binder.

Then he pivoted straight into youth intervention work and family advocacy, because apparently "spent three decades keeping the peace" wasn't quite enough of a resume, so he threw in a Master's in Christian Ministry for good measure.