Women in politics: How a qualified, unopposed female judicial candidate just lost an election in SC
Originally published by Matthew Hall for The State
If you don’t think that South Carolina’s judicial selection system is flawed, consider the General Assembly’s recent 54-93 vote against qualified candidate Melissa Inzerillo, who had no opponents for a soon-to-be vacant York County judgeship.
But first consider the process that preceded it: the commission that vetted her found her to be so qualified, and even well-qualified in some areas, that it recommended lawmakers approve her for the job in a conversation so short commissioners used just 54 words.
“The next race is for Circuit Court, 16th Circuit, seat two. We have one candidate, Melissa A. Inzerillo.”