Will she run for higher political office? Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell hasn’t decided
Editor’s note: We caught up with the most interesting people we wrote about in 2018. Learn what’s new with each this week.
She ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2008 against Mick Mulvaney, now President Donald Trump’s budget director and acting deputy chief of staff.
In May, she joined the Democratic ticket as state Rep. James Smith’s lieutenant-governor pick in his campaign for S.C. governor against incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster, who will soon be sworn in as the state’s 117th governor.
This month, state Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell returned to the S.C. Legislature to represent her Lancaster House district, a familiar launching pad for the 45-year-old that could some day help propel her to another political run.
However, Powers Norrell says it’s too soon to make that decision.
After the Nov. 6 election, “I’m not thinking about anything like that yet,” she said. “I never say never, but it’s not on my radar right now. I’m never thinking about ambition. I’m thinking about making a difference.”
Leaving the campaign trail, she said, was like being on a fast moving train, only for it to stop suddenly, rather than slow down.
“People would say, ‘I guess you’re excited to get some rest,’ “ she recalled. “That was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to keep going, keep meeting people, keep traveling the state because it was so much fun, that change of pace.”
Returning to Columbia this month for the S.C. House’s organizational session, Powers Norrell said it’s a bit bittersweet.
But, Powers Norrell adds, she’s ready to get back to S.C. House work, pushing for education reform — a linchpin of Smith’s bid for governor — and legislation that focuses primarily on disenfranchised women and children.
She’ll also be walking into a new role when lawmakers return to Columbia in January. Powers Norrell was recently named first vice chair on the influential House Judiciary Committee, a seat previously held by Smith.
“I was really very honored.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2018 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Will she run for higher political office? Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell hasn’t decided."
