BIG STORY: Regrets? A few from lawmakers not seeking reelection

UPDATED 4/4/2020

By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent  | Be patient with the process, respect seniority and remember who you are serving. Those are some pieces of advice from state lawmakers not seeking reelection in 2020.

Ten members of the S.C. House of Representatives and four three members of the S.C. Senate did not file for reelection for their current seats. 

House members not running for reelection: 

• House District 3 (Pickens): Gary Clary-R
• House District 33 (Spartanburg): Eddie Tallon-R
• House District 34 (Spartanburg): Mike Forrester-R
• House District 88 (Lexington): Mac Toole-R
• House District 94 (Charleston, Dorchester): Con Chellis-R
• House District 99 (Berkeley, Charleston): Nancy Mace-R
• House District 109 (Charleston, Dorchester): David Mack-D
• House District 112 (Charleston): Mike Sottile-R
• House District 115 (Charleston): Peter McCoy-R
• House District 116 (Charleston, Colleton): Robert Brown-D

Senators not running for reelection:

• Senate District 16 (Lancaster): Greg Gregory-R
• Senate District 24 (Aiken): Bruce Bannister-R **
• Senate District 44 (Charleston, Berkeley): Paul Campbell-R
• Senate District 39 (Berkeley, Calhoun, Colleton, Dorchester, Orangeburg): John Matthews-D

Statehouse Report asked three questions to four legislative veterans this week.  Here are their insights and counsel:

What are you most proud of during your time in Columbia? 

Campbell: “Being able to help constituents and citizens throughout the state.” He cited 2011 surface-water permitting legislation, landing Boeing in South Carolina, and the motor fuel user fee in 2017.  “We started giving DOT (the S.C. Department of Transportation) enough money to deal with roads and bridges in the state and to keep from killing people.”

Clary: “Removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds (in 2015).”

Gregory: “Opening South Carolina up to solar power … In 2014, we passed legislation that opened the state up to solar power” to have panels on rooftops and also the solar fields. “South Carolina since then has been one of the leaders in solar power and jobs.”

Mack:  “When I was chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, we did a walkout (in 2019) in order to draw attention that we were not getting a significant number of African-American judges elected in the state and that began a discussion … and we’ve made some changes since then.” He also said changes made to the payday lending industry was among his proudest moments.

What were you unable to accomplish?

Gregory: “The most disappointing thing has been the inability to pass any legislation that improves gun safety. Mainly we’ve worked for three or four years now on trying to get a bill passed that would partially close the Charleston loophole.” Charleston Democratic Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who was gunned down in the 2015 white supremacist attack on a black church in Charleston, was a former deskmate of his. “I’ve been disappointed that the Senate has not been able to come together to pass common-sense legislation.” 

Clary: “Ethics reform. I had a number of bills I introduced over the years from dark money from third party groups, more stringent reporting by members of the General Assembly … things like that.”

Mack: “Several things because I was part of the minority party. We are very outnumbered in the Democratic Party in the South Carolina State Legislature.” Mack said the 2012 decision to turn down Medicaid expansion is “especially glaring and troubling right now.”

Campbell: “You have to work together with your other senators … we were able to get a lot of things done. I never gave up on anything.”  

What is your advice to your successor? 

Mack: “Have a good set of beliefs and values. Your beliefs and values define who you are as relates to serving in any public office … The public has to identify folks that have those type qualities.”

Campbell: “Take care of the constituents and citizens of South Carolina. That’s what you’re up there for.” He also said to “always look for unintended consequences when you try to get something passed. He said he made “friends forever” during the “interesting ride.” “Go have some fun with, do some good and take care of the citizens of South Carolina.”

Clary: “Be patient with the process, and it doesn’t hurt to be patient with each other as well. The process is not geared for speed and the earlier you learn patience there, the more you understand.”

Gregory: “Listen more than you talk. The Senate is a body that runs on seniority and experience, and senators … that come in and try to change the state all at once and don’t listen to people who’ve been there a while, they usually end up as pariahs or one-term senators.” 

CORRECTION:  The original version of this story incorrectly stated that S.C. Rep. Bruce Bannister, R-Aiken, was not running for reelection for a Senate seat. The information has been updated. Bannister is running for reelection, unopposed, for his House seat.

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