Kamala Harris for the People
August 1, 2019

“The Candidate of Action” and “A Fighter for Working People”: Kamala Harris Receives Key South Carolina Endorsements Following Rousing Debate Performance

Prominent Gun Violence Prevention Activist Reverend Sharon Risher and Four Other South Carolina Leaders Endorse Harris for President

Following a debate performance that displayed Kamala Harris’ ability to prosecute the case against four more years of Donald Trump, prominent South Carolina leaders are endorsing Harris for President. Among Harris’ new endorsements is Tiffany Gamble an Horry County Democratic Party activist who was the subject of a video produced by The Washington Post at the South Carolina Democratic Party convention about being an undecided voter. Reverend Sharon Risher, whose mother Ethel Lee Lance was killed during the tragic Mother Emanuel shooting, is an outspoken advocate for gun violence reform and has been a spokesperson for Everytown and Moms Demand Gun Sense In America is also endorsing Harris. In addition, Sumter County School Board member Brian Alston, community leader Elder James Johnson, and former Berkeley County Education Association (BCEA) President Barbara Bodison are endorsing Harris for President.

“I met several smart and capable candidates during the South Carolina Democratic Party’s Convention, but I’m endorsing Kamala Harris because she’s the only one with a clear vision for providing a quality education for all our kids,” said Tiffany Gamble, 2nd Vice Chair of the Horry County Young Democrats. “From the moment she announced her candidacy, her focus has been on solving the everyday problems that working people face. Here in South Carolina she’s laid out an agenda to raise educator pay, invest in our HBCUs, build a pipeline of Black educators, and pass the most significant middle class tax cut in a generation. Last night, Kamala showed America that she is strong, pragmatic, and a leader for the difficult times we find ourselves in, which is why I’m proud to endorse her campaign for President.”

Tiffany Gamble is a resident of Conway, South Carolina. As 2nd Vice-Chair of the Horry County Young Democrats, she has worked with the Horry County Democratic party to engage and activate youth and millennial voters, specifically creating ties within communities of color. She was recently profiled as representative of undecided Black voters in rural South Carolina in a video produced by The Washington Post at the South Carolina Democratic Party convention.

“Kamala Harris is the candidate of action,” said Rev. Sharon Risher, Gun violence prevention activist. “ Congress has been hijacked by special interests and the NRA and Kamala is the only candidate who has detailed executive actions so that she can lead on preventing senseless gun deaths. I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris because four years after my mother died as part of the Emanuel 9, I need a leader who is focused on real world solutions instead of ivory-tower debates.”

Reverend Sharon Risher is a gun violence prevention activist whose mother, Ethel Lee Lance, was killed during the Mother Emanuel church shooting four years ago. Since then, Risher has been an outspoken advocate for gun violence reform and has been a spokesperson for Everytown and Moms Demand Gun Sense In America. Her advocacy work brought her to the White House, where she witnessed President Barack Obama sign executive orders pertaining to new gun laws.

“As the youngest elected member of the Sumter School District Board of Trustees, I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris,” said Sumter School District Board Member Brian L. Alston. “Last night she showed America that she’s a fighter for working people who is unwavering in her commitment to build an economy that works for all of us. Her recently released plan to invest in HBCUs like Sumter’s Morris College to increase STEM programming would be a major win for our rural communities. Here in South Carolina she has campaigned in areas of this state that haven’t seen Democratic Presidential candidates in a generation. Her singular focus on practical ideas that make the lives of struggling families better sets her apart from a field consumed by purity tests and semantic arguments."

Brian Alston represents District 1 for the Sumter County School Board. He was the youngest candidate in the race when he was elected in 2018. Previously, he worked for the Department of Employment and Workforce as a Workforce Support Coordinator. A Morehouse graduate, Alston and an influential member of High Hills AME, Alston will help spearhead the campaign’s HBCU organizing efforts in the Sumter region.

Others who have endorsed Harris include:

    * Former State Representative and civil rights leader I.S. Leevy Johnson
    * Bakari Sellers
    * Senator Darrell Jackson
    * Senator John Scott
    * Representative Rosalyn Henderson-Myers
    * Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber
    * Former Florence Councilman Billy D. Williams
    * Marion Councilwoman Tassie Lewis
    * Marion County NAACP President Reverend Marvin Hemingway
    * Former Representative Brenda Lee Pryce
    * Representative JA Moore
    * Representative Pat Henegen
    * Former Councilwoman Bernice Scott
    * Councilwoman Erica Brown
    * Former gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis
    * Former Democratic nominee for Attorney General Constance Anastopoulo
    * Berkeley County Democratic Chair Melissa Watson
    * Emerge South Carolina co-founder Susan Riordan
    * Marion County NAACP Education Chair George Gause
    * Rev. Dr. Calvin Robinson, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church
    * Dr. Bennie T. Davis, Pastor of Greater Christ Temple Ministries in Marion
    * Harris has also been endorsed by the Reckoning Crew, a group of predominantly Black women activists who have been organizing in South Carolina for almost thirty years.

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Kamala Harris for the People
July 16, 2019

Eight South Carolina Leaders Endorse Kamala Harris As She Unveils “People Over Profit” Pharmaceutical Plan

Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber, Former Florence City Councilman Billy D. Williams and Six More South Carolina Leaders Endorse Harris

Today, Kamala Harris received the endorsement of several South Carolina leaders as she unveils her new “People Over Profit” pharmaceutical plan.  Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber, Former Florence City Councilman Billy D. Williams, Marion Councilwoman Tassie Lewis, Marion County NAACP President Reverend Marvin Hemingway, Marion County NAACP Education Chair George Gause, Georgetown Planning Commission Code Enforcer Tracy Gibson, Rev. Dr. Calvin Robinson, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church and Pastor of Greater Christ Temple Ministries in Marion, Dr. Bennie T. Davis all announced their support following Harris’ ninth trip to South Carolina. Harris is the only Democratic candidate to have campaigned in the Pee-Dee and Grand Strand where she has now twice been met with unprecedented enthusiasm. Most recently, she held a town hall in the region that attracted more than 1,200 excited Democrats.

Harris’s new plan to crack down on big pharma will dramatically reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, which right now average $1,200 annually for Americans, by allowing the federal government to establish fair prices for what companies can charge for drugs and forcing rebates to consumers for any profits earned from selling drugs above the fair price.

The plan would:

  • Stop pharmaceutical companies from price-gouging patients by setting a fair price for what they can charge for prescription drugs;
  • Tax any pharmaceutical company profits made from selling a drug above the fair price at a rate of 100 percent, with the funds directly rebated to consumers;
  • End the pharmaceutical company tax loophole for direct-to-consumer advertising expenses which taxpayers currently subsidize at an estimated cost of $6 billion a year, and use those proceeds to boost NIH funding for new treatments; and,
  • Take executive action, if Congress refuses to act, to investigate all major prescription drugs whose pharmaceutical companies are price-gouging patients, import lower-cost alternatives from abroad, prioritize investigating predatory pharmaceutical companies at the Justice Department, and license patents for high-priced drugs for the most egregious offenders.
Mayor Brendon Barber is the first Black mayor of Georgetown, South Carolina. He comes from a family of educators, most notably his mother, Camille Barber, who was a schoolteacher for 47 years in Georgetown.

“I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President,” said Barber. “She visited the Pee-Dee region very early in her campaign because she wanted to hear from working people and address their concerns at a human level. I support Kamala Harris because she is determined to bring down the cost of pharmaceutical drugs, increase teachers’ pay, expand homeownership, and bring the country together as a united front.”

Billy D. Williams, former Florence City councilman who was instrumental in revitalizing the downtown Florence community, is Vice President of the Florence Community Development Agency, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Pee Dee Healthy Start, Inc., former Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Florence and former Chairman of the Florence County Democratic Party.

“Kamala Harris has put forward an agenda that speaks directly to the concerns that keep South Carolinians up at night,” said Williams. “Her new plan to lower pharmaceutical drug costs showcases her courageous commitment to taking action at a time when too many of our lawmakers remain complacent in Washington. I’ve spent my life in Florence fighting for everyday people and I am certain that as President, Kamala will refocus the priorities of our federal government on working families.”

“As President, I will not stand idly by as Americans pay thousands of dollars for prescription drugs while big pharmaceutical companies rake in massive profits. This plan puts people over profit by forcing these companies to reduce prices for consumers and holding them accountable when they gouge Americans,” said Harris. “I’m excited to have the support of South Carolina leaders who are committed to taking on Big Pharma and fighting for the interests of working people.”

Fighting to protect seniors and consumers from predatory or illegal pharmaceutical company practices has been a hallmark of Harris’ career. As California Attorney General, she secured more than $230 million for Californians through settlements with pharmaceutical companies over their deceptive and dangerous practices -- including $46 million from GlaxoSmithKline for illegal marketing and drug pricing, $52 million from Abbott Laboratories and $89 million from Johnson & Johnson for unlawful marketing practices, and $23 million from McKesson for inflating drug prices, among others. She took on companies for illegally marketing to dementia patients and substandard manufacturing on a drug for cancer patients, and she sponsored legislation to boost California’s prescription drug monitoring program. As a Senator, she has taken on drugmakers for marketing practices for drugs used to treat opioid addiction and sponsored legislation to prevent drug price increases. 

Harris has previously been endorsed by I.S. Leevy Johnson, Bakari Sellers, Senator Darrell Jackson, Senator John Scott, Representative Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, Former Representative Brenda Lee Pryce, Representative JA Moore, Representative Pat Henegen, Former Councilwoman Bernice Scott, Councilwoman Erica Brown, former gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis, former Democratic nominee for Attorney General Constance Anastopoulo, Berkeley County Democratic Chair Melissa Watson, and Emerge South Carolina co-founder Susan Riordan. Harris has also been endorsed by the Reckoning Crew, a group of predominantly African-American women activists who have been organizing in South Carolina for almost thirty years. 

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Kamala Harris for the People endorsements..
June 28, 2019

  • Dr. Gloria Boozer - Former Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. official
  • Dr. Ralph Brown - Orangeburg County School Board Member, Pastor from Holly Hill 
  • Peggy Baxter - South Carolina Democratic Party Delegate

Kamala Harris for the People
May 28, 2019

Kamala Harris Receives Key South Carolina Endorsements As She Campaigns In The Upstate

Former Representative Brenda Lee Pryce, Representative Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, and Councilwoman Erica Brown Endorse Kamala Harris for President
 
As Senator Kamala Harris returns to South Carolina for her sixth trip as a presidential candidate, she has received the endorsement of three prominent women leaders in the Upstate. Former Representative Brenda Lee Pryce, Representative Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, and Councilwoman Erica Brown announced they are backing Harris, citing her focus on women and families.
 
Last week Harris released a plan to close the gender pay gap under which the median annual pay for a woman in South Carolina would increase by up to $3,060 per year. After unveiling the plan, she was endorsed by former Democratic nominee for Attorney General Constance Anastopoulo and co-founder of Emerge SC, Susan Riordan.

“As a former SC State Representative, I’m endorsing Kamala Harris for President because she represents the same values that I embraced,” Pryce said. “Her entire agenda is about giving working people a fair shot, from raising teacher pay by 19% for South Carolina teachers to proposing the most significant middle class tax cut in generations. I’m excited to work with her to finally ensure that working families are our nation’s top priority.”

Brenda Lee Pryce served as a member of the S.C. House of Representatives for District 31 from 1995 to 2005. She is a 1966 graduate of Carver High School and attended the University of South Carolina. She was the 1998 recipient of the E. Lewis Miller Award for leadership in Spartanburg and is a fellow soror in Alpha Kappa Alpha, inc.

“As a former prosecutor, former judge, and criminal defense attorney who understands the need for true criminal justice reform, I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris,” said Henderson-Myers. “As President, she has pledged to end private prisons and push states to prioritize treatment and rehabilitation for drug offenses. I’m excited to join her to keep all our families safe by finally making our criminal justice system fair for everyone.”

Born in Spartanburg, Henderson-Myers currently serves as a member of the S.C. House of Representatives in House District 31. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1978 and is a member of the including the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association. Henderson-Myers is also a former state court judge, having presided over family law cases, criminal misdemeanors, juvenile court, civil cases and child welfare cases. She is the immediate past chair of the Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association that represented some 30,000 black female lawyers and law professors across the country.

“As she’s campaigned in every corner of this state, Kamala Harris has spoken to the everyday needs of South Carolinians,” said Brown. “I’m proud to endorse her campaign because she’s focused on the needs of women and families, from improving public transportation to ensuring our teachers are finally paid what they need in order to do the best for our children.”

Brown was first elected to the Spartanburg City Council in 2013 and won re-election in 2017.  She was formerly a patient resource specialist at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in Spartanburg and attended Wofford College.

“I’m excited to have the support of these women leaders,” Harris said. “Representative Brenda Lee Pryce, Representative Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, and Councilwoman Erica Brown are all pillars in their communities. As I continue to campaign in South Carolina, I look forward to working with them to ensure that the voices of women and families are uplifted and heard.”

Harris has previously been endorsed by I.S. Leevy Johnson, Bakari Sellers, Senator Darrell Jackson, Senator John Scott, Representative JA Moore, Representative Pat Henegen, former gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis, former Democratic nominee for Attorney General Constance Anastopoulo, Berkeley County Democratic Chair Melissa Watson, and Emerge South Carolina co-founder Susan Riordan.
 
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Kamala for the People
May 21, 2019

Constance Anastopoulo and Susan Riordan Endorse Kamala Harris for President Following Announcement of First-Of-Its-Kind Equal Pay Plan

Following yesterday's release of Senator Kamala Harris’ plan to close the gender pay gap, South Carolina women leaders Constance Anastopoulo and Susan Riordan have announced their support for Harris’ presidential campaign.
 
“I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President,” said Anastopoulo. “She understands the economic and social pressures women face in the workplace and has demonstrated she will be a leader on pay equity as well as on the maternal mortality crisis. Her record as California’s Attorney General proves that she is a fighter for all people and I’m excited to join this movement to lift up working families.”
 
Anastopoulo was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General after serving for 15 years as a senior litigator at a Charleston-area law firm appearing before the S.C. Court of Appeals, the S.C. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A Professor of Law at the Charleston School of Law, Anastopoulo is active in the fight for gender equality, serving on the Board of Directors of My Sister’s House, Inc., the Advisory Board of the Women and Gender Studies Program at the College of Charleston, and as Vice President of the Charleston Area League of Women Voters. She formerly served as the President of Daughters of Penelope Philanthropy which operates a shelter for women fleeing domestic abuse.
 
“As Republicans attempt to strip women of the economic, reproductive, and social gains we have fought for, Kamala Harris has been a champion for equality and progress,” said Riordan. “Her plan to eliminate the pay gap and her commitment to fighting for universal paid family and medical leave make me proud to endorse her campaign to move South Carolina, and our nation, forward.”

Riordan is a co-founder of Emerge South Carolina, the Palmetto State's premier organization that recruits, trains and provides a powerful network to Democratic women seeking office. She currently serves as the Chair of its Development Committee in addition to working with the United Way of Greenville County and Upstate Forever.

“I am proud to have earned the support of Constance Anastopoulo and Susan Riordan, two leaders who have spent their lives advocating for gender equality,” Harris said. “South Carolina women lose $10 billion every year due to pay inequity. That’s not right and it’s why I’ve put forward the most aggressive equal pay proposal in our country’s history to close the pay gap between women and men. I’m excited to work with Constance and Susan to fight discrimination in the workplace as I campaign across South Carolina.”


Kamala Harris for the People
May 8, 2019

Kamala Harris Picks Up More South Carolina and Nevada Support

South Carolina State Senator John Scott and Henderson, Nevada, Councilwoman Gerri Schroder have endorsed Kamala Harris for President. Scott represents Senate District 19 in Richland County, SC. He previously served on the Richland County Council and in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Schroder was elected in 2007, representing Ward 1 in Henderson, NV, the state’s second largest city. She is the only Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) currently elected to a city council in Nevada.

Harris visited the Palmetto State last week to meet with educators and community leaders for a roundtable discussion focused on the importance of raising teacher pay. Teachers in South Carolina participated in a Day of Reflection on May 1 to protest ongoing education issues. On April 27, Harris made a campaign stop in Las Vegas to participate in the SEIU/Center for American Progress National Forum on Wages and Working People and to meet with the Culinary Workers Union.

“Kamala Harris has a vision and a plan for the working people of South Carolina,” said Scott. “On each visit to our state, she has stressed the importance of investing in our institutions of higher learning with a focus on the positive impact HBCUs have in Black communities. She has also repeatedly visited oft-ignored rural areas and outlined her vision for economic development while speaking to local concerns like hospital closure and failing water infrastructure. She is a leader for everyday people and I’m proud to join her in this fight to move our nation forward.”

“The prospect of the first woman president and the first president of Asian descent is incredibly exciting,” said Schroder. “With so much at stake, we need a bold champion for the people in the White House who understands the issues that matter and that our diversity is a strength to be celebrated not a weakness to be scapegoated.”

“I am proud to have John and Gerri’s endorsements in this race,” Harris said. “As I campaign across this nation, I hear the same refrain: health care is a right, we need to fully fund public education, and we need an economy that works for working people. With their support and as champions for these issues, together we will continue to present a clear vision for our country’s future.”

Schroder joins Chris Miller, former Chair of the Clark County Democratic Party and State Senator Pat Spearman in endorsing Harris in Nevada. Nevada will hold its caucus contests on Tuesday, February 23, the third state in the 2020 primary schedule. In South Carolina, Harris has previously been endorsed by I.S. Leevy, Bakari Sellers, Representative JA Moore, Representative Pat Henegen, Senator Darrell Jackson, former gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis, and Berkeley County Democratic Chair Melissa Watson.

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Kamala Harris for the People
April 23, 2019

I.S. Leevy Johnson Endorses Kamala Harris for President

Today, Senator Kamala Harris received the endorsement of former state Representative I.S. Leevy Johnson. Johnson was the only Black member of his University of South Carolina law school class of 1968 and the first Black student to complete all three years of law school at USC. In 1985, he ascended to become the first Black President of the South Carolina Bar Association. Johnson, along with two other candidates, made up the first cohort of Black candidates elected to the General Assembly since Reconstruction. Due to his transformational work, Governor Jim Hodges awarded Johnson the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Johnson also served as the chairman of the Richland County Democratic Party

“I’m honored to have I.S. Leevy Johnson’s endorsement in this race,” said Kamala Harris. “He has broken barriers in the legal profession and lifted up young leaders as he rose to become the first Black president of the South Carolina Bar Association. I’m proud that this campaign reflects the diversity of this country and I’m excited to have such an accomplished fighter for racial equity and justice join our team in South Carolina.”

“Watching Kamala Harris in action, I am convinced she is the best candidate for President,” said I.S. Leevy Johnson. “As the first Black woman to become Attorney General of California and only the second Black woman to become a United States Senator, she has already made history and will do the same as our next President. I’m proud to endorse her because she has the vision to tackle our country’s most pressing issues -- from raising teacher pay to ending the epidemic of gun violence.”
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Kamala Harris for the People
April 15, 2019

Bakari Sellers Endorses Kamala Harris

Sellers Will Announce Endorsement Alongside Harris At SC State

Today, former South Carolina representative Bakari Sellers endorses Kamala Harris for President. Sellers will campaign with Harris at South Carolina State University on Saturday, April 20, where he will formally announce his endorsement.

“South Carolina deserves a leader that is attuned to the needs of all communities, particularly rural communities like my hometown of Denmark,” Sellers said. “From the moment she declared her candidacy for president, Kamala Harris revealed a platform that pays teachers what they deserve, addresses our maternity mortality crisis, fights for clean water, and supports storied institutions like South Carolina State University and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the state. These issues hit home for me, and Kamala has repeatedly offered clear solutions for each one, proving there is no problem or person too small to be heard. Kamala has dedicated her life to fighting for everyday Americans, and I believe she will do the same for working class families in South Carolina. I proudly endorse Kamala for president and look forward to voters across South Carolina getting to know the courage and determination that embodies this extraordinary leader.”
 
Sellers was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014 and previously represented District 90 in the South Carolina State House where he was the youngest African-American elected official in the country. Sellers has also served as the first Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

“I am extremely proud to have Bakari’s endorsement in this race,” Harris said. “As a leader, activist, and elected official in South Carolina, he has fought for years to make progress from the grassroots to the state house. As I campaign in every corner of this state, I will continue to speak to the concerns of students, teachers, seniors and working families. Together, we will fight for an America where our teachers are paid their value, health care is a right and for an economy that works for working people. ”

Sellers joins Representative Pat Henegan, Senator Darrell Jackson, Representative JA Moore, Berkeley County Democratic Party Chair Melissa Watson, and former candidate for Governor and Florence attorney Marguerite Willis as a co-chair for Harris’ South Carolina campaign.
 
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Kamala Harris for the People
March 28, 2019

Kamala Harris Receives Five Endorsements From South Carolina Leaders Who Will Serve as Campaign Co-Chairs

Today, Senator Kamala Harris received the endorsements of Representative Pat Henegan, Senator Darrell Jackson, Representative JA Moore, Berkeley County Democratic Party Chair Melissa Watson, and former candidate for Governor and Florence attorney Marguerite Willis. All five of leaders will serve as co-chairs for Senator Kamala Harris’ South Carolina campaign.

“I’m honored these leaders have joined our campaign in the Palmetto State to build an economy that works for everyone, including raising the salaries of South Carolina teachers,” said Kamala Harris. “I am committed to organizing and campaigning in every corner of the state and I’m proud our co-chairs reflect the diversity of South Carolina Democrats.”

Representative Pat Henegan, a retired educator who represents District 54 in the Pee Dee and a fellow soror in Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., said, “As a former educator I’m proud to stand by Kamala Harris who has proposed the greatest federal investment in teacher pay in our nation’s history. I’m excited to work to make her the next President of the United States.”

“In South Carolina, educational inequality is the foundation of economic inequality,” said Senator Darrell Jackson, “I'm endorsing Kamala Harris because she has proposed a groundbreaking plan that would finally treat teachers with the respect they deserve. Her plan specifically addresses the needs of teachers working in economically disenfranchised schools where kids need increased support and attention. I'm proud to stand by her as we fight to make sure every child receives an education that can set them on the path to achieving the American dream." Jackson is the Senior Pastor of Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, one of the largest African American churches in South Carolina in addition to representing District 21 in the Midlands.

Representative JA Moore, a progressive leader representing District 15 in South Carolina’s Lowcountry who lost his sister to gun violence in the 2015 Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting, said “Kamala Harris is a visionary leader with the history and expertise to address issues of gun violence, racially motivated hatred, and the unique challenges minorities and women face here in South Carolina and across our country. She has consistently shown through her campaign a commitment to progressive policies. She supports closing loopholes for gun purchases, fighting for the rights and pay of teachers, and reforming our broken criminal justice system. I know Senator Harris is the best person to represent Americans who truly believe in 'liberty and justice for all.' "

“Kamala Harris’ plan to treat teachers like the professionals they are is key to my endorsement of her candidacy,” said Melissa Watson, chair of the Berkeley County Democratic Party and public school teacher. “She has placed working people at the center of her campaign and I’m confident that she will do just that as President.”

“I’m excited to endorse Kamala Harris for President,” said Marguerite Willis, a Florence attorney who has been an outspoken leader on equal pay for women, President of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, and a 2018 candidate for Governor as part of the historic wave of women running for office. “She is the candidate willing to speak truth to power and stand up for South Carolinians, particularly our teachers and our elderly, who desperately need her help on the federal level.”

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