SC's 1st openly gay lawmaker headed back to State House after primary win

Jason Elliott made history in 2016 when he became the first openly gay man elected to the S.C. House.

He also made headlines, which bothered at least some constituents who thought Elliott hadn't been forthcoming about that fact that he was gay during his election bid.

This year, the Greenville Republican faced two GOP primary challengers who campaigned at least in part on the issue of the incumbent's sexuality.

But most GOP primary voters were not that concerned, and Elliott ended up winning nomination for a second term Tuesday with 58 percent of the vote.

Elliott told supporters Tuesday that his win shows the Republican Party has changed.

“We’ve reached a point that we can shut the door on that narrative," Elliott said, according to the Greenville News. "People who go to work and do their job get a contract extension.”

It wasn't the first challenge Elliott has faced on the issue. In 2016, a write-in campaign was launched against the unopposed Republican by Brett Brocato, who also challenged Elliott in this year's primary.

Elliott won the seat by defeating socially conservative state Rep. Wendy Nanney in a primary, criticizing her for what he called her absenteeism in the House. The district includes Bob Jones University, a conservative evangelical institution.

This story was originally published June 13, 2018 at 4:48 PM with the headline "SC's 1st openly gay lawmaker headed back to State House after primary win."