Record number of SC women vying for State House
An unprecedented array of Democratic and Republican female candidates are challenging incumbents for seats in the
General Assembly, contending it’s past time for more women to “have a seat at the table” in legislating policy that includes much more than abortion.
In advocating for a slew of issues ranging from abortion rights to constitutional carry, from judicial reform to education and the economy, a record slate of women are vying for seats in the State House in hopes of creating a louder voice for women, which makeup more than 50 percent of the state’s population. Currently, just over six percent of women serve in the House, and only seven percent in the Senate.
“If you’re not at the table then you’re on the menu,” said Lynn Teague, vice president of issues and actions for the League of Women Voters in South Carolina. “Women are underrepresented in South Carolina state government, virtually more than in any other state.”
Women make up 51.5% of the population of South Carolina, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Belinda Timmons, a Democrat running for Senate District 31 against freshman state Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-florence, echoed Teague, saying more women taking a seat at the table will help to ensure women voices are heard.
“Women are not viewed as having an opinion,” she said. “We have an opinion, we have choices, we know how to make
intelligent and informed decisions, and now is the time to step and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ to make decisions not only for women but for the state as a whole.”
The General Assembly’s lack of female representation has lead to legislative decisions that some candidates classify as a complete disregard of women rights, most notably relating to abortion access.
Katie Crosby, a 30-yearold Democrat looking to unseat state Rep. Mike Neese, R-lancaster, in House District 44, said she she’s seeking to restore bodily autonomy for women after failing to find a candidate who pledged to the same.
“If not me, then who?,” she asked. “We (as women) want our own rights to our healthcare. Women really need representation in our state, I mean we saw what happened when we lost the only woman we had on our Supreme Court, becoming the only state without a women on its Supreme Court. And now we have lost our bodily autonomy. We need to make sure we take back and protect our freedom to make our own health care decisions.”
Kate Creech, a Democrat seeking to replace House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton, R-beaufort, in District 120, said after having an abortion, she’s heavily advocating for reproductive healthcare and a woman’s right to choose.
“As someone who has personally experienced (an abortion), I can attest that it’s a very personal decision, and there should be no reason the government is involved in that decision,” she said. “After watching what’s been happening in our state ... with abortion bans, I realized that there is no time like the present, it’s time to step up.”
Other female candidates, such as Jody Bohman, a Republican running for House District 114 said she’s tired of politicians not honoring promises made on the campaign trail.
“I’m a retired wife and mother, and I’m simply just tired of tired of our politicians saying one thing and getting to Columbia and doing another thing,” Bohman said. “Women are tired of this and just want to get out there and do something about it. It’s kind of like being a mom, when you need to get things done, you just go out and do them.”
Despite the lack of representation of women in the General Assembly, several other women say they’re running only after being asked by their local parties.
Julie Hussey, a Democrat seeking to replace Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee Chairman Chip Campsen, R-charleston, said she decided to run after being approached the Charleston County Democratic party.
“When I was asked (to run), I thought about how I had watched the abortion debates (in the State House), and after I called to let my moderate voice be known, I was completely ignored,” Hussey said.
“I was so disappointed when I noticed my state senator was adamant that the state’s privacy rights didn’t extend to women,” Hussey said. “I thought to myself ‘This is not okay, I’m very frustrated by this.’ Obviously he didn’t listen to my call, and I think he didn’t listen to calls by anyone else, and that just made me think we need to do better.”
Lindsey Agostina, likewise, said her motivation to run was prompted by men who knew state Sen. Thomas Mcelveen, of District 35, wasn’t seeking reelection.
“Ironically, I had several men reach out to me before any women, asking me to run, knowing about my experience,” Agostina said, who serves as a Richland Two school board member. “Women followed up, and along the same sentiments of, while we need strong women ... we want a person with conviction who stands up for what’s right, even if it means standing alone. But also somebody with the ability to build consensus when its needed.”
Agostina, who is not running for reelection to the school board, was first elected as a Richland Two board trustee in 2016. In following her role as a school board trustee, she said her Senate candidacy is centered around “quality education for all.”
“Making sure school safety is top priority is something we’ve spent a lot of time on in Richland Two, as well as advocating for competitive teacher salaries and more educational
options for parents,” she said.
Still, other candidates say judicial reform is at the forefront of their anticipated legislative agendas, including Timmons,
who formerly served as chief magistrate for Florence County.
“We need judges who are going to be on the bench, whether Democrat or Republican, who’s not going to apply the law based on the General Assembly,” Timmons said. “We don’t need judges handpicked by friends, they need to be qualified to be able to interpret the law. And with me being the former chief magistrate, I have that experience, I know the issues that we deal with everyday.”
Many of the women candidates say they are excited a record number of women are seeking election to the State House, as it will ensure their voices are heard.
“That’s why we’re seeing women running for office, because women feel like their voices are not being heard,” Crosby said. “We’re standing up en masse to say ‘You’re going to listen to us.’ We might not get what we want, but you’re going to hear us, at least.”