State Rep. Rita Allison, a lifelong resident of Lyman who has represented the Upstate in the state House of Representatives for nearly 28 years, announced this week that she plans to run for re-election.
This past fall, Allison lost her husband of 60 years, Ron. After prayerful and thoughtful consideration – and encouraging, supportive conversations with hundreds of people in the community that she has served – she made her decision. As Ron’s health declined, he urged Rita to continue her work, telling her she has a servant’s heart.
“My work is not complete, and I hope to honor my commitment in service,” Allison said. “With his firsthand experience with COVID, Ron would remind me that ‘never before was a steady hand more important.’ I never thought this decision would be made alone, but I am at peace with my decision and am truly humbled that so many friends offered encouragement, support and direction.”
Allison is chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, the first woman to lead that committee, and she works in collaboration on the state’s largest departmental budget. She grew up in public education and served on the Spartanburg School District 5 board. She has a love for education that is unmatched and a vision of knowing that education is the tool that we need to build the future.
Her priorities going forward include teacher recruitment and retention, early childhood education, and access to quality childcare for working parents.
Since she first took state office, Allison has worked tirelessly on education accountability, tax reform, higher education reform, and domestic violence and child abuse reform. “We have been working for years to transform the education system in South Carolina,” Allison said. “And while we have made steady progress, there is still some legislation that we’d like to work on. Also, with so much one-time federal monies flowing into the state, we need to make sure we use those resources conservatively to give South Carolina the most advantageous position.”
Allison also has served more than five years in the executive branch, under Gov. Mark Sanford, first as education advisor and later as a legislative liaison.
In 2016, Allison was honored by Furman University’s Riley Institute with the David H. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership. She also has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor.