| Sandy Senn | |
| State Senate: | South Carolina |
| District: | 41st |
| Term Start: | November 14, 2016 |
| Preceded: | Paul Thurmond |
| Birth Date: | 27 June 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Orangeburg, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Education: | University of South Carolina (JD) |
| Profession: | Attorney |
| Spouse: | Rande A. Lane |
| Children: | 3 |
Sandy Senn (born June 27, 1963) is a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 41st District, serving since 2016.[1] She is a member of the Republican Party.[2]
Senn chairs the Charleston County Senate Legislative Delegation. She serves on the Senate Corrections and Penology; Judiciary; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Medical Affairs, and Transportation Committees.[3]
Senn also serves on the following Joint Committees: the South Carolina Youth Smoking Prevention Advisory Commission and Palmetto Pride PRT.[4] [5]
See also: 2016 South Carolina Senate election.
Senn won a runoff in the Republican primary to replace incumbent Paul Thurmond, who did not seek re-election. She won the general election with no Democratic opposition.[6]
See also: 2020 South Carolina Senate election.
Senn defeated Democratic nominee Sam Skardon in the general election.[7]
See also: 2024 South Carolina Senate election.
Senn lost the Republican Primary to State Representative Matt Leber.[8] [9]
In 2021, Senator Senn drew criticism from conservatives due to her support for masking schoolchildren.[10] Senn called for a special session to reconsider the state’s ban on mask mandates in schools.[11]
In 2023 and 2024, Senn co-sponsored the following bills, all signed into law by the Governor: a bill to provide for the extension of an election protest filing deadline the State Health Facility Licensure Act;[12] the South Carolina First Responder Line of Duty Death Benefit Fund; and a bill requiring Tuberculosis testing in nursing homes.
In 2017, Senn voted against constitutional carry, and in 2021, she was the only Republican in either chamber to vote against the Open Carry with Training Act.[13] [14] In 2020, Senn received a 17% rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund, while in 2016, she was one of only a few Republican politicians in the entire United States to receive a 0% NRA rating.[15]
According to the conservative Club for Growth Foundation, Sandy Senn is the lowest-ranked Republican in South Carolina for fiscal conservatism, with a 14% rating. [16] In 2024, Senn was among legislators pushing for a study committee to review and provide remedies for insurance costs on small businesses.[17]
Senn supports the legalization of abortion. She has stated that the issue surrounding abortion access "[has] been about control"[18] In 2023, she joined with a Democrat, an Independent, and two other Republican women state senators, calling themselves, "The Sister Senators": Sen. Mia McLeod (I-Richland), Sen. Katrina Shealy (R-Lexington), Sen. Penry Gustafson (R-Kershaw), Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews (D-Colleton) and Senn herself. They blocked the passage of a bill that would have banned almost all abortions in South Carolina; with exceptions for rape/incest (first-trimester only) and medical emergencies. Senn said the Republicans threatened to recruit and back an opponent to her in 2024.[19]
In September 2023, it was announced that Senn and the "Sister Senators" had been selected to receive the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award, joining prominent recipients such as George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bob Inglis, Nancy Pelosi, John McCain and Gabrielle Giffords.[20] The award was presented in an October 2023 ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.[21]
In October 2021, Senn sent an email to all 46 state senators, their staff, and the senate clerk, describing the late African American State Senator Stephen Swails as "the whitest looking black guy I've ever seen."[22]
On May 9, 2024, Sandy Senn released a campaign ad accusing her Republican challenger, Representative Matt Leber, of never having received a college degree.[23] Later, an investigation by the Post and Courier revealed that the information provided the Senn campaign was incorrect and that Leber had indeed received a college degree.