Who’s running in special election for SC Senate after Kimpson left for Biden administration?

Voters in the Lowcountry have the chance to select a new state Senator following a Charleston Democrat’s departure to the White House.

Four candidates, including three Democrats and one Republican, are vying for a seat recently vacated by former state Sen. Marlon Kimpson, who left the upper chamber in May to join the Biden administration more than a year before the end of his term.

A special election Nov. 7 will decide whether a human rights activist or one of three existing lawmakers will succeed Kimpson.

But first, Democratic state Reps. Wendell Gilliard, JA Moore and Deon Tedder will have to face off in a Sept. 5 primary. The primary winner will face Republican Rosa Kay in the Nov. 7 election.

The district leans heavily blue and has long been represented by a Democrat in the Senate.

Charleston County Democratic Party Chair Sam Skardon said he has confidence in all three Democratic candidates but said it’s important that whoever wins continue to be the voice in Columbia for Charleston Democrats — a role he says Kimpson performed well since first being elected in 2013.

“We (as Democrats) are a majority of Charleston County and the Charleston metro area, and yet, gerrymandering has really reduced us to this one voice” in the state Senate, Skardon said. “So, we need it to be a strong and powerful voice for our values, and Sen. Kimpson has been that.”

Skardon noted that while state Sen. Margie Matthews, D-Colleton, also offers Charleston Democrats a voice, her district is mostly rural outside of the Charleston metro area.

Here’s a profile of the candidates.

Wendell Gilliard

Gilliard, 69, is a public relations consultant and was first elected to the South Carolina House in 2009, marking him as the longest-serving legislator among the three Democratic candidates bidding for Kimpson’s now-vacant seat.

Born in Charleston, Gilliard is a life-long resident of the area. He attended Devry School of Technology and spent many years working as a labor union organizer before serving as a Charleston City Council member for more than 10 years.

Gilliard said, if elected, he will fundamentally focus on issues involving economics, including an initiative that would significantly raise the starting pay for teachers to $70,000.

“That would stop the great exodus in South Carolina as it pertains to school teachers,” Gilliard said. “I want people to understand that we can only improve the social aspect (of a political issue) by grabbing the bull by the horns from an economic perspective.

To that end, Gilliard said it was his motivation to help the economically disadvantaged, such as the homeless, that led him to first run for public office more than 20 years ago.

Gilliard said his nearly 14 years of State House experience is what makes him best qualified for the Senate job.

Gilliard is known for spearheading several pieces of hate crime legislation following the 2015 shooting deaths of Walter Scott in North Charleston and nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Although Gilliard has been successful in getting the measure past the House twice, it was rejected in the Senate.

But Gilliard said he’s confident that if elected to the Senate, he’ll be successful in helping his hate crimes bill finally clear the upper chamber.

Gilliard’s campaign has raised $2,000 in contributions with $0 in expenditures.

JA Moore

Moore, 38, is a chef and business owner, and have served in the House since 2018, representing parts of North Charleston and Goose Greek.

He was born in Orangeburg and earned a culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales University.

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant service industries, Moore said he’s been a community servant his entire life — a role he says he’s embraced in the House and wishes to expand upon if elected to the Senate.

“The work that I’ve done both as an elected official, and as an active community participant is what qualifies me for” the Senate, Moore said.

Moore pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic in highlighting one way he’s consistently served his community.

“I’ve traveled throughout Charleston County, feeding workers, hospitality workers, hospital workers, people, folks that work at gas stations, teachers, all over Charleston County, quite frankly, all over the state” during the pandemic, Moore said.

Moore said his decision to run for the House in 2018 was spurred by the tragic death of his sister, Myra Thompson, who was one of nine churchgoers massacred at Emmanuel AME Church in 2015.

Since his time in the House, said he has advocated for clean water, economic development and affordable housing and was successful in passing legislation that brings more awareness to mental health and health education.

So far, Moore’s campaign has $86,227.00, $40,000 of which consists of a personal loan. He hasn’t spent any money, according to campaign finance reports.

Deon Tedder

Tedder, 33, is a trial lawyer who has served in the House since 2021, representing North Charleston.

He was born in neighboring North Carolina and is a graduate of South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Among other things, Tedder says he wants to help attract more jobs and economic opportunity to the Charleston area, and a with a seat in the Senate, he’d be in a better position to do just that.

He said because of his success in passing legislation creating a Historically Black Colleges and Universities day, more college students of color have been afforded internship opportunities in the House and Senate.

“I feel that I can get more accomplished in the state Senate, particularly because of the rules that the Senate has in comparison to those in the House,” Tedder said. “And in light of the numbers, 120 members in the House and 46 Senators, I can be more effective” in the Senate.

As of July, Tedder has raked in $83,480 in campaign contributions. Having spent $12,269.10, he’s left with a little more than $71,000 in the bank, according to campaign finance reports.

Although Tedder has spent the least amount of time in the House compared to his Democratic opponents in the race, he said time doesn’t equate to experience.

“I don’t think that the longer you’re in the Legislature, the more experience you have, because there are some people who sit idly,” he said.

Regardless of his time in the House, Tedder said his knowledge as a lawyer qualifies him for the Senate seat above his opponents.

“As an attorney, I understand the rule of law,” Tedder said. “A lot of these bills are not simplistic, but I understand how to craft, interpret, understand and explain legislation to other people so that they can understand it. And I think that’s important to have in the Legislature.”

Rosa Kay

Kay, 30, is an unemployed human rights activist who migrated to the United States from war-torn Sierra Leone in 2017.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Makeni in West Africa before beginning law school at the Charleston School of Law.

Notably, Kay claims she was recently dismissed from the law school unjustly and forced to spend a week in a psychiatric hospital because of her work in activism surrounding a Black law student organization at the school.

Now, not only is she suing the Charleston School of Law for its alleged treatment of her, but she also is aiming to have a voice in the state’s upper chamber.

“I had always wanted to act and maybe go into politics if the need arose, and now it has” Kay said. “It’s all about human rights, and if I’m elected, that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

Unlike other candidates vying for Kimpson’s seat, Kay expressed little reservation in aggressively challenging her would-be Senate colleagues in the Senate.

“And yes, I’m not just going to be advocating,” Kay said. “I am going to be one person that will actually sue a fellow senator, or fellow political candidate, if I find that they are exploiting our people.”

Campaign finance records do not reflect any filings by Kay. Candidates are required to file an initial report within 10 days of receiving or spending $500, under state law.

Members of the South Carolina state Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.

The Charleston County Democratic Party will hold a special election candidate forum Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m., providing an opportunity for voters to interact with the three Democratic candidates before the primary, according to Skardon. The exact location has yet to be determined. More information can be found on the Charleston County Democratic Party’s website.