SC House Speaker Lucas reelected to 4th term, Richland’s Rutherford stays top Democrat
S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas will serve a fourth term presiding over the state’s House of Representatives after the Hartsville Republican ran unopposed and was unanimously reelected to the powerful leadership post Tuesday.
Meanwhile, House Republican and Democratic leaders Gary Simrill and Todd Rutherford will keep their top posts, leading the majority and minority parties, respectively, in the chamber.
Lucas first became a temporary speaker in October 2014 after former Speaker Bobby Harrell pleaded guilty to campaign spending violations and left office. An attorney, Lucas was elected to the top job two months later, becoming the first speaker to serve from Darlington County.
“Six years ago, I was bestowed a great honor. The members in this body chose me to serve you as your speaker,” Lucas said, after he was nominated by House Rep. Jay Jordan, R-Florence, during the first day of a two-day session that brought the House to Columbia. “Today, I’m again entrusted with that honor, and I can tell you it is just as humbling today as it was then.”
The 124-member House returned Tuesday and will again Wednesday to elect leaders, get committee assignments and, maybe more importantly for the 15 new freshman, become familiar with their desks and parking spots in the garage.
Though no bills were passed, Tuesday also marked the House’s first return amid the state’s COVID-19 outbreak that has logged more than 205,000 positive virus cases and more than 4,000 COVID-19-related deaths since the state’s first case reports in March.
The Speaker’s Office offered members and staff rapid COVID-19 tests and encouraged members to wear masks in the chamber. Many did, but some were seen without masks on in the chamber and throughout the State House.
Behind plexiglass, Lucas told the House the next two-year session that starts Jan. 12 will be “unlike any before.”
Because of COVID-19, the Legislature was made to push many of its meetings online and stagger session through September beyond its typical May end. It left the state without a new budget for the fiscal year and left the speaker without a win after a large education bill he sponsored and the House passed died from a months-long Senate filibuster.
“The challenges brought on by COVID-19 have been felt by all of us,” Lucas said, taking a dig at the upper chamber. “We were forced last year to abruptly pause the legislative session that was picking up steam with many, many important legislative priorities left undone. However, amid the pandemic, an extremely unusual schedule and a typical recalcitrant Senate, we learn that the world never stops.”
No one knows what the next two years hold, Lucas said, adding, “I can tell you that we will be different.”
“But whatever comes, I will promise you like Hannibal the great (Carthaginian) general said, ‘We will either find a way or we will make a way.’ ”
SC House leaders keep roles
Richland County House Rep. Todd Rutherford squeaked out a win Tuesday and was reelected to serve another term as the House’s top Democrat. And Republican Majority Leader Gary Simrill, of York County, ran unopposed and was unanimously elected to a third term.
Rutherford was reelected by a 22-18 caucus vote, facing opposition from Richland colleague Rep. Wendy Brawley, who told colleagues of her plans to run in November.
Rutherford has served in the House since 1999 and was first elected minority leader in 2013.
He enters another term after Republicans flipped two Democratic-held seats, despite flipping one themselves in November.
“You’ve always got a differing of opinion on where we’re going, and our caucus is no different,” Rutherford said about his opposition, which pushed for a more progressive approach to leading the caucus. “I am like Yosemite Sam. I have two big guns, but people realize I have no bullets, no carrots, no sticks. This is simply a matter of who you want, whose message you want to lead with, whether it be a more progressive message or what I believe is a message that people want to hear in South Carolina and get reelected.”
Meanwhile, Simrill will serve his third term after Republicans agreed to suspend a caucus rule that restricts majority leaders to two two-year terms. Simrill has served in the House since 1993.
A priority for the Legislature next year will be redrawing district lines based on the U.S. Census, a potentially contentious debate where Republicans will have the upper hand.
“A steady hand at the wheel is what members of the caucus had talked about during this time,” Simrill said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 11:50 AM with the headline "SC House Speaker Lucas reelected to 4th term, Richland’s Rutherford stays top Democrat."
