Lowcountry lawmaker unexpectedly resigns SC House seat right before start of session
A South Carolina state lawmaker abruptly resigned her House seat Tuesday, less than a month before the General Assembly returns to Columbia to begin the legislative session.
State Rep.Mandy Kimmons, R-Dorchester, broke the news on Facebook Tuesday night, posting a copy of the resignation letter she sent House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, earlier in the day.
“After much thought and prayerful consideration, I have resigned from the South Carolina House of Representatives,” Kimmons wrote. “I can never thank you all enough for placing your trust in me. I am forever grateful for all the support! I look forward to serving the community in other ways. God Bless!”
Kimmons, an attorney who was first elected in 2018, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A special election will be scheduled to fill her seat ahead of November, when the entire 124-member House is up for reelection.
In Kimmons’ resignation letter, the 37-year-old attorney wrote that serving South Carolina and the voters of District 97 had been the “honor of a lifetime,” but that she believed it was time to focus on her law practice and serving her local community.
“This has been a difficult decision to make,” she wrote, “but I believe this to be the right decision for my family and me. I appreciate the opportunity to serve, and I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of South Carolina in other ways.”
Kimmons was at the State House as recently as two weeks ago to vote in support of new voting maps and a measure to stop public employers from firing unvaccinated workers.
Her district, which has been a Dorchester County district that includes a small portion of Colleton County, will extend farther into Colleton County following redistricting and become roughly equal parts Dorchester and Colleton.
With the change in boundaries, District 97, which Kimmons won by nearly 25 points in 2020, is expected to become an even safer Republican seat.
Prior to taking office, Kimmons, a Ridgeville resident, served as a prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit from 2008 to 2016.
The House will return to session in early January with at least two empty seats: Kimmons’ and the Newberry County seat held by Republican state Rep. Rick Martin, who was recently suspended after being indicted on charges of misconduct in office and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The Senate, meanwhile, has one vacant seat that opened last month following the death of longtime Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman. A special election to fill Leatherman’s seat is scheduled for March 29.