SC House of Representatives, District 71
Election Information:The Statewide General Elections will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Your address indicates you live in the district for this race.EARLY VOTING: If you prefer to vote prior to November 3, 2026, you can vote during a two-week early voting period Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30. Early voting centers are open Monday to Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are registered to vote in Lexington County, check the Lexington County Voter Registration and Elections website Registration and Elections | County of Lexington or https://scvotes.gov/voters/early-voting/ for early voting locations. If you are registered to vote in Richland County, check the Richland County Voter Registration and Elections website Early and Absentee Voting | Richland County SC or https://scvotes.gov/voters/early-voting/ for early voting locations.ABSENTEE VOTING: You may be eligible to vote absentee by mail. For details on eligibility and how to submit your request, see this SC Election Commission Voting Absentee page: https://www.scvotes.gov/absentee-voting.Position Description:One of two legislative chambers in the SC General Assembly, the House of Representatives is composed of 124 part-time members, one from each of the state’s geographic House districts, elected to 2-year terms in November of even-numbered years. Members must be citizens of both the United States and South Carolina and be at least 21 years old. State representatives create and amend state laws, pass an annual state budget, and redraw district lines every 10 years.
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Nathan Ballentine
(Rep)
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Julie Zimmerman
(Dem)
1. What measures do you support to ensure secure, accessible voting in South Carolina?
2. What measures do you support to improve access to health care for low-income South Carolinians?
3. What measures do you support for regulating data centers in South Carolina?
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Education
BA Sociology University of South Carolina Aiken / MA Clinical Mental Health South University
Qualifications
Julie is a licensed therapist, community organizer, and longtime South Carolina resident running for the South Carolina House of Representatives in District 71. She is a 2025 Emerge graduate and a 2026 Palmetto Leadership Academy graduate. She is also the inaugural recipient of the Heart of Irmo Award, recognizing her commitment to community service. Julie founded Irmo Neighbors Helping Neighbors and has advocated for issues affecting South Carolina families.
Campaign Phone
8035291484
Campaign Email
juliezforsc@gmail.com
Every eligible South Carolinian deserves a fair and accessible opportunity to vote. I support expanding access to early voting, making voter registration easier, ensuring polling places and voting equipment are accessible to people with disabilities, and protecting voters from intimidation and unnecessary barriers.
I also support secure, transparent, and auditable elections that protect every legally cast ballot. Our election system should make it easier for eligible citizens to participate, not harder.
I support increasing access and funding for programs that help low-income South Carolinians build stable, healthy lives. That means expanding Medicaid, protecting access to SNAP and other nutrition programs and strengthening community health and mental health services.
I support a responsible approach to data center development in South Carolina. That begins with a moratorium on new projects while we evaluate their impact on our electrical grid, water supply, environment, infrastructure, and communities. Data center developers should carry a greater share of the costs.
I support increasing the tax burden on these developers and directing a portion of that revenue toward conservation programs, workforce development, and job-training opportunities in the communities affected.
And oversight and community involvement are nonnegotiable. Residents deserve transparency, public input, strong environmental protections and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their homes, resources, and quality of life.
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