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Sandy Senn

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Sandy Senn
Member of the South Carolina Senate
from the 41st district
Assumed office
November 14, 2016
Preceded byPaul Thurmond
Personal details
Born (1963-06-27) June 27, 1963 (age 61)
Orangeburg, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRande A. Lane
Children3
EducationUniversity of South Carolina (JD)
ProfessionAttorney
WebsiteCampaign website

Sandy Senn (born June 27, 1963) is a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 41st District, serving since 2016.[1] She is a member of the Republican Party.[2]

Political career[edit]

Committees[edit]

Senn chairs the Charleston County Senate Legislative Delegation. She serves on the Senate Corrections and Penology; Judiciary; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Medical Affairs, and Transportation Committees.[3]

Senn also serves on the following Joint Committees: the South Carolina Youth Smoking Prevention Advisory Commission and Palmetto Pride PRT.[4] [5]

2016 Senate race[edit]

See also: 2016 South Carolina Senate election

Senn won a runoff in the Republican primary to replace incumbent Paul Thurmond, who did not seek re-election. She won the general election with no Democratic opposition.[6]

2020 Senate race[edit]

See also: 2020 South Carolina Senate election

Senn defeated Democratic nominee Sam Skardon in the general election.[7]

2024 Senate race[edit]

See also: 2024 South Carolina Senate election

Senn lost the Republican Primary to State Representative Matt Leber.[8] [9]

Positions[edit]

Education[edit]

In 2021, Senator Senn drew criticism from conservatives due to her support for masking schoolchildren.[10] Senn called for a special session to reconsider the state’s ban on mask mandates in schools.[11]

Elections, Health, Law Enforcement[edit]

In 2023 and 2024, Senn co-sponsored the following bills, all signed into law by the Governor: a bill to provide for extension of an election protest filing deadline the State Health Facility Licensure Act;[12] the South Carolina First Responder Line of Duty Death Benefit Fund; and a bill requiring Tuberculosis testing in nursing homes.[12]

Guns[edit]

In 2017, Senn voted against constitutional carry, and in 2021, she was the only Republican in either chamber to vote against the Open Carry with Training Act.[13][14] In 2020, Senn received a 17% rating from the NRA, while in 2016, she was one of only a few Republican politicians in the entire United States to receive a 0% NRA rating.[15]

Economy[edit]

According to the conservative Club for Growth Foundation, Sandy Senn is the lowest-ranked Republican in South Carolina for fiscal conservatism, with a 14% rating. [16] In 2024, Senn was among legislators pushing for a study committee to review and provide remedies for insurance costs on small businesses.[17]

Abortion[edit]

Senn supports the legalization of abortion. She has stated that the issue surrounding abortion access "[has] been about control"[18] In 2023, she joined with a Democrat, an Independent, and two other Republican women state senators, calling themselves, "The Sister Senators": Sen. Mia McLeod (I-Richland), Sen. Katrina Shealy (R-Lexington), Sen. Penry Gustafson (R-Kershaw), Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews (D-Colleton) and Senn herself. They blocked the passage of a bill that would have banned almost all abortions in South Carolina; with exceptions for rape/incest (first-trimester only) and medical emergencies. Senn said the Republicans threatened to recruit and back an opponent to her in 2024.[19]

Awards and recognitions[edit]

In September 2023, it was announced that Senn and the "Sister Senators" had been selected to receive the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award, joining prominent recipients such as George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bob Inglis, Nancy Pelosi, John McCain and Gabrielle Giffords.[20] The award was presented in an October 2023 ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.[21]

Controversies[edit]

Racial comments[edit]

In October 2021, Senn sent an email to all 46 state senators, their staff, and the senate clerk, describing the late African American State Senator Stephen Swails as "the whitest looking black guy I've ever seen."[22]

False claims regarding political opponents[edit]

On May 9, 2024, Sandy Senn released a campaign ad accusing her Republican challenger, Representative Matt Leber, of never having received a college degree.[23] Later, an investigation by the Post and Courier revealed that the information provided the Senn campaign was incorrect and that Leber had indeed received a college degree.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  2. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "Senator Sandy Senn". South Carolina Legislature. 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Reid, Charles F. (January 18, 2024). "Joint and Special Committees of the Senate and House" (PDF). South Carolina Legislature. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "Structure and Leadership". Palmetto Pride. 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Sandy Senn wins District 41 seat". WCSC-TV. June 28, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  7. ^ Fortier-Bensen, Tony (November 4, 2020). "Sandy Senn wins SC Senate seat after Sam Skardon concedes". WCIV-TV. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  8. ^ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/matt-leber-leads-sc-sen-district-41-gop-primary-by-31-votes-recount-likely/ar-BB1o3smw
  9. ^ "Senator Sandy Senn concedes primary by 31 votes: 'I trust the computers'". WLTX-TV. June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  10. ^ https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article253534464.html
  11. ^ "State senators call for special session to reconsider SC's school mask mandate ban". WSPA 7NEWS. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  12. ^ a b "2023-2024 Bill 164: State Health Facility Licensure Act". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ^ "Bill granting permit-less gun carry advances in South Carolina Senate while legislation closing 'Charleston loophole' stalls for the year". Post and Courier. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  14. ^ "Trained SC gun owners will likely soon be able to carry openly after Senate approves bill". Post and Courier. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  15. ^ "Vote Smart | Facts For All". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  16. ^ https://clubforgrowthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-South-Carolina-House-Scorecard-FINAL.pdf
  17. ^ Rademaker, Melissa (January 1, 2024). "SC leaders push for study of insurance costs, possible new regulations". WCSC-TV. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Restrepo, Manuela (April 28, 2023). "This Republican S.C. lawmaker helped block a 'crazily oppressive' abortion bill". NPR. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023.
  19. ^ Republican women are helping block an abortion ban in South Carolina, WBTW, May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  20. ^ "Award Recipients | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  21. ^ Le Blanc, Steve (2023-09-19). "'Sister senators' who fought abortion ban to receive JFK Profile in Courage award". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  22. ^ https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article255028397.html
  23. ^ a b [email protected], nreynolds@postandcourier com (2024-05-13). "SC lawmaker Sandy Senn says challenger Matt Leber lied about college degree. He didn't". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-07-08.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandy Senn.
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