South Carolina has long struggled with female representation in its state Senate, with historical peaks and valleys. In the 1980s and 1990s, the state had three women in the Senate, but that number dwindled to zero between 2009 and 2012. It wasn’t until Katrina Shealy’s election in 2012 that the trend began to shift.
Shealy, a Republican, recalled her isolation as the only woman in the Senate, a situation that improved in 2014 when Democrat Margie Bright Matthews joined her. In January 2024, South Carolina reached a milestone with six women serving in the Senate, but a series of elections and primary losses reduced this number back to two.
The challenges for women in South Carolina politics are evident. Women, especially in the South, often feel the need to be overqualified to run for office and struggle with a lack of support from male counterparts.
Despite a recent wave of female candidates in other states, South Carolina’s representation remains dismal. In a notable move, the five women in the state Senate united in their opposition to a near-total abortion ban, earning the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, though the backlash from this stance led to the ousting of three Republican women in the 2024 elections.
Shealy, who had prioritized issues related to children, families, women, veterans, and the disabled, expressed concerns about the future of the state Senate, but remained cautiously optimistic. She hopes that despite setbacks, the new legislature will work for the good of South Carolina’s people.
The struggle for female representation is not just a local issue but part of a broader pattern seen in Southern states. For example, a recent report highlighted South Carolina’s lack of monuments to women in its Statehouse, with only one statue commemorating Confederate women. Shealy, reflecting on her experiences, emphasized the importance of women in leadership and the need for women to be taken seriously in politics.
As Shealy looks to the future, she remains hopeful that her service will inspire more women to run for office and that the South Carolina Senate will work to address the needs of its people. She cautioned against turning political office into a spectacle and called for serious leadership.