Campaign Phone
803-200-2121
Campaign Email
elkinsforsenate22@gmail.com
Education
Doctorate- South Carolina State University, Ed.S, Cambridge University, M.Ed, Columbia College, BS, South Carolina State University
Qualifications
Veteran Board Member- Richland Two School District, Retired Principal
I support Medicaid Expansion. No one should have to choose whether they purchase their medication or pay bills.
Support Medicaid expansion efforts to increase access to healthcare for low-income individuals and families.
- Work to ensure that Medicaid programs are adequately funded and cover essential services
- Include mental health services and support by advocating for programs, crisis intervention, prevention, and education for all ages
I will work with all elected officials (state, city and county-wide), school districts as well as our 2/4 colleges to provide the funding, resources, mentoring and job training skills to equip our future leaders with the skill set to be productive leaders and workers.
SC must first take advantage of the funding that is available to decrease the sea level by raising coastal structures and building extensive seawalls.
It’s very simple…school educators (boots on the ground) should determine what books should be in school libraries.
Campaign Phone
803-699-8189
Campaign Email
ThigpenforSenate@gmail.com
Education
BS, Jackson State University; MDiv. ITC, Morehouse School of Religion; Doctor of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic; Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Winthrop University; Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, Palmer College of Chiropractic
Qualifications
Elected State Representative (8yrs); Chair of SC Legislative Black Caucus; Pastor, Rehoboth Baptist Church; Headmaster, Rehoboth Childcare Development Center; Owner/Physician, Restore Chiropractic; Founding Member, M.O.R.E. Justice; SC Education Policy Fellowship Program - Fellow; SC Institute of Medicine and Public Health- Fellow; Liberty Fellowship’s The New South Carolina Statesman Society - Participant; Leadership South Carolina - Participant
I believe that affordable and accessible healthcare is essential to every human being. Healthcare should be a right for all citizens and not a privilege for the wealthy. Equally I know that thousands of South Carolinians have been denied access because of partisan politics resulting in Medicaid NOT being expanded. Our healthcare is under attack; I will continue to work overtime to defend healthcare affordability and accessibility as we seek to expand and improve healthcare delivery where and when possible.
It is literally a matter of LIFE and DEATH!
Economic development is key part to recruiting and retaining jobs. We know that we are in a regional, national, and global competition for landing companies.
This competition is a combination of tax incentives, regulatory reasonableness, and utility infrastructure readiness. The latter has been our most recent challenge. Thinking long term about balancing energy needs while protecting the environment and rate payers, we seek the symbiotic relationship that will allow all sectors of our stakeholders to grow. Commerce and Community can create the necessary conditions to allow all to thrive and grow our state in a sustainable way. This is the true task in creating jobs.
We must remain vigilant in our protection of all of our natural resources to include barrier islands and other natural methods of conservation.
Our regulations and legislation should strive to strengthen our support for research and resilience regarding climate change. As the Charleston Harbor has been deepened, there may be other engineering projects that better position the state not only from a commerce perspective but also from a natural disaster response perspective as we look to the inevitable future.
Libraries by design are not only educational but also catalogued into sections! Rather than censorship and violation of freedom of speech (in my humble opinion), let us seek to categorize rather than censor; educate instead of eliminate.
No group should be allowed to deny the public the opportunity to be educated or informed by experiences and perspectives outside of their own via reading. Lack of understanding nor disagreement with unfamiliar experiences or perspectives justify book bans!
History has taught us well that when literature, literacy, and education are restricted or denied… EVIL IS AT HAND!
Campaign Phone
803-868-5800
Campaign Email
overturew@yahoo.com
Education
Bachelor of Arts (History) and Juris Doctor
Qualifications
Former public defender, former prosecutor, former assistant city attorney, former municipal judge, former chair of Richland County Council, 19 years as a legal professional, small business owner, advocate, problem solver, and decisive.
While some states have expanded Medicaid to cover the poor, our state’s poorest residents have been left without insurance. It’s astounding that this state’s leaders have been unwilling to expand coverage for the hundreds of thousands in our state without health care. Yet, South Carolina helps raise the billions of federal dollars that are being spent to cover citizens in other states. That is unacceptable. I would be a staunch advocate for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. We must not be silent on this issue. Not only would expansion, first and foremost, improve the health of South Carolinians and support rural hospitals, but it would also create jobs and strengthen our state’s economy.
Increasing economic development and expanding job opportunities have been among my key areas of focus during my time on Richland County Council. In 2023, I and my fellow council members worked with local and state leaders to produce what is potentially the best year for economic development in county history, highlighted by Scout Motors’ announcement it will build a $2 billion, 4,000-employee plant in the county. As a senator, I would continue to work with local officials in my district and elsewhere, along with the S.C. Dept of Commerce, to lure more industry into our community and our state. It is important to get the right public and private partners at the table to pool resources and make robust pitches to prospective industries.
A big part of addressing rising sea levels requires acknowledging that climate change presents a real and harmful threat to our water, lands and way of life. It is critical that we act to combat climate change, promote clean air and preserve our environment long term. In addition to promoting steps such as the use of renewable energy sources and reducing emissions to address climate change, it also is important to preserve coastal wetlands and marshes and other key lands, among other things.
It is critical that students be exposed to a diverse universe of books for reading, research and growth. They need to be able to read and learn about not only themselves but the people and world around them. Generally, skilled and well-trained librarians (and other professional educators) should be relied on to choose books that are appropriate in terms of age, taste and other key factors. It is appropriate for there to be a process by which parents and the public can review books and comment on lists when books are being decided upon. However, I strongly oppose efforts by a single parent or extreme groups to remove books from school libraries in an attempt to hide or deny history or attack people's race, culture or way of life.
