Look what we did!

OUR WORK HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!

What an extraordinary election! A blue wave swept across the country, and South Carolina was part of it!

We have so much to celebrate, and I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly proud I am of what we’ve accomplished together.

First, let’s celebrate our WINNERS!

Congratulations to Annie Andrews, elected to the United States Senate, and Nancy Lacore, elected to Congress!

Right here in Dorchester County, congratulations to our newly elected County Council members, Peter Smith Jr., Jessica Bright, and Bryan Holman!

Congratulations to Dr. Sonja Ogletree-Satani and Montez Aiken, elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives!

And congratulations to Justin Bamberg, Tiffany Spann-Wilder, and Gilda Cobb-Hunter, who won reelection!

These victories helped break the Republican supermajority in the South Carolina House and changed the political landscape right here in Dorchester County.

I also want to recognize ALL of our candidates, including those whose races didn’t go our way. It takes tremendous courage to put your name on a ballot, and every one of you helped make this election what it was.

A special thank-you to our statewide candidates, Jermaine Johnson for Governor, Richard Hricik for Attorney General, Jason Belton for Secretary of State, Vincent Coe for State Treasurer, Tiffany Boozer for Comptroller General, DeShawn Blanding for Commissioner of Agriculture, and our beloved Sylvia Wright for State Superintendent of Education.

Sylvia, I especially want you to know how proud we are of you. Your commitment to South Carolina’s children, families, and public schools means so much, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve given to this campaign.

To all of our candidates, thank you for stepping forward and giving South Carolinians a choice and a voice.

To our volunteers, precinct leaders, and DCDP leadership, THANK YOU! You’ve given so much of your time, energy, and heart to this effort. Every phone call, text, conversation, and knocked door helped bring us to this moment. These victories belong to you, too.

And I want to dedicate a very special part of these victories to the memory of our dear Linda Behling. 💙

Linda devoted years of her life to the Dorchester County Democratic Party, working tirelessly toward the very victories we’re celebrating today. She wanted so badly to live long enough to see the blue wave she had spent so many years helping to build.

I got weepy thinking about her on Election Day, wishing she were here to see the results coming in and celebrate with us. We owe Linda so much, and I believe with all my heart that she’s looking down on us proudly. I know she would have been absolutely overjoyed. 💙

And a special thank-you to everyone who came to our election night watch party! The food everyone brought, including our candidates, was absolutely phenomenal, and the camaraderie, laughter, and excitement made it such a wonderful evening. I had SO much fun celebrating with all of you!

So how did Dorchester County flip blue?

That’s what a reporter from The Post and Courier wanted to know when he interviewed me for an article titled:

“Democrat Nancy Lacore’s congressional race upset was fueled by wins in Lowcountry GOP strongholds.”

I talked about how Jermaine Johnson’s gubernatorial campaign helped generate excitement among Black voters, particularly alongside Republican efforts earlier this year to redraw Congressman Jim Clyburn’s Sixth Congressional District in ways that would dilute Black voting strength.

The article also cited our own DCDP post-election debrief report, noting that Democratic turnout in Dorchester County reached presidential-year levels, while Republican turnout fell sharply compared with 2024.

For years, people have told us what’s not possible in South Carolina. That we’re too red. That the odds are stacked too heavily against us. That some places simply can’t be won.

Well, I think it’s about time we started showing people what IS possible.

And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

But as proud as I am of Tuesday’s results, I also know that the challenges facing our communities didn’t disappear on Election Day. We still have serious problems to solve, institutions that need strengthening, and neighbors who are struggling. With more Democrats now responsible for governing, we have a greater responsibility to deliver.

We’re building something here in Dorchester County that’s bigger than any one candidate, any one election, or any one of us.

We’re building a beloved community. One where we know our neighbors, look out for one another, and work together to make life better for everyone who calls this place home.

And I want us to keep building that community long after the excitement of this election has faded.

Something big happened in this election, and we need to seize this moment.

We’ve helped change the political landscape in Dorchester County. Now we need to turn that momentum into lasting progress.

DCDP is responding with three steps:

1. LISTEN. At our next general membership meeting on Saturday, November 14, we’re planning a listening session to hear directly from YOU. We want to give our members an opportunity to share ideas, raise concerns, and talk with party leadership and members of our legislative delegation about the issues that matter most to you. We’re also planning a broader community forum to hear from residents across Dorchester County. With more Democrats now serving in elected office, it’s especially important that we listen to the people we’re here to represent. We’ll share more details about the meeting and how you can participate soon.

2. PLAN. We’ll take what we learn and turn it into a clear, concise, actionable strategic plan for 2027 and beyond. Our goal is to have that plan completed by the end of January, with specific priorities, responsibilities, and measurable goals.

3. EXECUTE! Then we put that plan into action. We’ll strengthen our organization, support our elected officials, deepen our community relationships, and keep working to improve the lives of the people we serve.

I want DCDP to be an organization that people know they can count on, not just during election season, but every day of the year.

We have so much to celebrate, and a whole lot more work ahead of us.

The future of South Carolina is still being written, and we’re going to have a hand in writing it.

So celebrate these victories. Be proud of what we’ve accomplished together. You’ve earned it!

And then let’s get back to work.

Because y’all, OUR WORK HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!

ONWARD, TOGETHER! 💙

With love and immense gratitude,