York County Democrats make history. Meet the party’s first Black chairperson
Nikita Jackson has been elected the first-ever Black leader of York County Democrats.
Jackson, of Rock Hill, was chosen as county chairperson at a Democratic Party meeting Wednesday, said S.C. Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill. She served on the Rock Hill City Council from 2017 to 2022. Jackson replaces John Kraljevich, who was chair of the county party from 2020 until resigning in October.
Jackson will fill the chair’s role through March, when the county party will have its regularly scheduled elections for party officers. She also plans to run for a full term as chair during regular elections in March.
“With the South Carolina presidential primary coming up in February, it is important to move forward and make people aware of what we are doing as party in our county and state,” Jackson said Thursday in a phone interview with The Herald.
Jackson, a Rock Hill native, has years of political activism and community service. She was first vice-chair of the county Democratic party before being elected chair. Before that, she was secretary of the county party for six years.
Jackson served on Rock Hill’s volunteer Weed and Seed board before she was elected to city council and was in the 2016 class of Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s political fellowship program.
She is a graduate of Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. and is the outreach supervisor at North Central Family Medicine in Rock Hill.
The state’s Democratic presidential primary is Feb. 3. South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary is Feb. 24. Political primaries for 2024 statewide and local elections are in June, with the general election in November.
The South Carolina primaries are the first in the South and among the first contests for president in the primary season before the November general election.
Democrats and Republicans in York County
Republicans have dominated York County politics for years. Henry McMaster won the 2022 gubernatorial election in York County with 61% of the vote — a higher percentage than he received in 2018 or Nikki Haley received in 2014.
Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, is the 5th Congressional District representative. Before that, the district representative was Republican Mick Mulvaney. Republicans also hold all countywide elected offices and three of four S.C. State Senate seats that have all or some parts of York County. The GOP holds six of seven seats on York County Council.
King, the only Black member of the county legislative delegation, is the only Democrat from York County in the S.C. House of Representatives. All seven other S.C. House seats all or partly in York County are held by Republicans.
Jackson said as chair she hopes to educate voters about voter turnout, and empower the public to use their vote and participate in the process of democracy.
Jackson said she expects to encourage voter interaction and participation, especially with the presidential primary looming in February and a general election coming in November 2024.
“I would like to put out the correct information for voters to make an informed decision for them about their elected leaders,” Jackson said.
More information on both parties
For information and social media links for the York County Republican Party, visit yorkrepublicans.org.
For information and social media links for the York County Democratic Party, visit yorkscdems.org, or call 803-327-4222.
