What keeps Katrina Shealy up at night?
What does the loss of all three female Republican women in the South Carolina Senate mean for the Palmetto State?
Senator Katrina Shealy (R – Lexington) was the only woman in the Senate when she joined in 2012. Her loss in the Primary Runoff, along with the Primary losses of Sen. Sandy Senn (R – Charleston and Dorchester) and Sen. Penry Gustafson (R – Kershaw), mean that only two women remain in the 46-member body. Pending the November General Election outcomes, there could be no Republican women’s perspectives represented in the S.C. Senate. The Senate is built on seniority, and it will be at least a decade before another woman ascends to a position of leadership in that body.
Shealy and her Sister Senators may not agree on everything, but they found a way to come together to serve the people they represent. Who now will take up issues for children, women, families, veterans, seniors, education, healthcare, and community betterment? To get anything done, it will have to be a Republican with seniority. Shealy says, “There’s not one single man in there that’s going to pick it up.”
Shealy worries about the future of our state and country and sees decades of progress for women being thrown out the window. She asks, “Is this the best we have to offer our state…our country? This is not about women over men; this is about women being equal to men.”
Women are 51% of the population of S.C., but with low voter turnout in both the primary (13.59%) and runoffs (5.85%), the people who have the most to lose didn’t show up. Elections have consequences. Citizens don’t understand and frankly, it seems most don’t care. A very small number of votes from single-issue voters will have long-term and far-reaching ramifications.
Nobody agrees on everything, but to make progress for South Carolina, we have to be willing to listen to each other and compromise. Democracy requires a diversity of thought that is currently lacking in our General Assembly. With the prospect of even fewer female voices represented, Shealy pleads with women, “Get involved! Run, vote, and do something in your community. Look at women candidates and consider them. Don’t be scared.”
And don’t give up! Learn more about the 15 women running for the S.C. Senate in November, the 41 running for the S.C. House, and the 138 running locally where you live. Only you and your vote can change our state for the better.
Blog by Sara Ballard, SC WIL Executive Director