Staff reports | More than a dozen state lawmakers said goodbye over the last week as the General Assembly wound down its regular session.
Two House members are leaving the chamber in hopes of winning Senate seats. State Rep. Mia McLeod (D-Columbia) is seeking the seat held by retiring Sen. Joel Lourie (D-Columbia). And Rep. Stephen Goldfinch (R-Murrells Inlet) is in a tough primary contest for the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Ray Cleary, also of Murrells Inlet. Also saying goodbye is state Sen. Paul Thurmond (R-Charleston); four GOP newcomers are in a primary battle to take his place.
Rep. Grady A Brown (D-Bishopville), first elected in 1984, is the longest-serving member to retire. Other Democrats leaving the General Assembly are Reps. Wayne George of Mullins, Kenneth Hodges of Green Pond, Walt McLeod of Little Mountain and Mary Tinkler of Charleston.
On the Republican side of the House aisle, Rep. Jenny Horne of Summerville will be leaving as she is in a primary battle to try to take a congressional seat away from U.S. Rep. and former Gov. Mark Sanford. Other Republicans leaving the House are former House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham of Cayce and Reps. Chip Limehouse of Charleston, Deborah Long of Indian Land, Shannon Riley of Hodges and Don Wells of Aiken. Former GOP Rep. Mike Gambrell of Honea Path left the chamber last month when he got an upgrade to the Senate after winning an election runoff to replace the last Sen. Billy O’Dell.
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