Three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate who opposed a total abortion ban were ousted in recent primaries.
According to Breitbart News, Sens. Sandy Senn, Penry Gustafson, and Katrina Shealy, who opposed a total abortion ban last year, were voted out during the low-turnout primaries in June. Their departure marks the end of the Republican wing of the five-member "Sister Senators" group, which also included two Democrats who opposed the abortion ban.
Starting in 2025, no women will be part of the majority party in the state Senate. The primary defeats could significantly diminish female representation and influence in the state Senate for decades.
Historically, women have faced significant challenges in gaining legislative influence in South Carolina. The absence of women in the Senate suggests it could be until the 2040s before a Republican woman rises to a leadership position or committee chairmanship. Only two women will remain in the 46-member Senate when the next session begins in January 2025, leaving South Carolina with the fewest women in its upper chamber compared to other states.
In response to the abortion ban, South Carolina enacted a law prohibiting abortion once cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks. The three Republican women, alongside two Democrats, received international acclaim and the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for their opposition to the ban. However, stringent abortion opponents targeted them with billboards and mailers labeling them as "baby killers."
According to Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, abortion was not the only issue contributing to their ousting. "When you’re on CNN, and you’re on MSNBC, and you’re on the front page of the New York Times and the front page of the Washington Post, you’re repeatedly sticking your finger in the eye of a lot of conservative folks," Massey said. He added that their opponents did a good job of painting them as out of touch.
During her tenure, Shealy passed significant legislation and made incremental changes to improve conditions for women in the Senate. A group called SC Women in Leadership has been working to encourage and train women to run for office, highlighting the broader efforts to increase female representation in government.
Senn expressed a call to action in her farewell speech on June 26: "Women, somebody else is going to have to stand up. Somebody else is going to have to come and make things right."
Shealy, reflecting on her legislative contributions and concerns for the future, remarked after her runoff loss, "We’ve helped children and helped families and helped the disabled. We’ve helped women and we’ve helped veterans. And what I am so worried about is who is going to do that now?"
Shealy also highlighted the challenging environment for women in the Senate, recounting comments made by some lobbyists during the abortion debate last year. Shealy stated, "You can tell how tough it is by some of the comments made by some of the people in the lobby. Things like, ‘Women aren’t fit to serve,’ that ‘God doesn’t want us here.’ Well, God’s pretty smart. If God didn’t want us here, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be here."
Gustafson shared her feelings of being judged differently than her Democratic counterparts, saying, "It can be exhausting sometimes. I felt like I was always being judged in a way my friends who are Democrats were not."
Despite their defeats, the three Republican women remain proud of their stance and legislative efforts. Shealy concluded:
Here it is. And it’s beautiful. And I’m proud of it. I’m proud of losing this senate race just to get this because I stood up for the right thing. I stood up for women. I stood up for children. I stood up for South Carolina. And all these sister senators with me, we’re not ashamed.
The ousting of the three Republican women who opposed the total abortion ban in South Carolina marks a significant shift in the state's political landscape. With their departure, female representation and influence in the state Senate will be severely diminished starting in 2025. The historical struggles for women in South Carolina's legislature, combined with the aggressive opposition they faced, underscore the challenges ahead for female legislators. Efforts by groups like SC Women in Leadership are crucial in encouraging and training future female candidates. The lasting impact of this primary result could be felt for decades, highlighting the ongoing fight for women's representation in government.
