Mia S. McLeod (born August 19, 1968) is an independent American politician serving as a member of the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...

from the 22nd district. She previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016. On June 3, 2021, McLeod announced her candidacy for the

2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election The 2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican Governor Henry McMaster ran for re-election for a second full term in office and secured the Republica ...

, becoming the first Black woman to run for

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

, generating national and international headlines.

Early life

McLeod is the daughter of the late James S. and Shirley J. McLeod. McLeod earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the

University of South Carolina School of Law The University of South Carolina School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law School, is a professional school within the University of South Carolina. The school of law was founded in 1867, and remains the only public and non-profit law schoo ...

Career

Prior to her election to the South Carolina State Legislature, McLeod worked in various state agencies including the Office of the

South Carolina Attorney General The Attorney General of South Carolina is the state's chief legal officer and prosecutor. History Alexander Moultrie, half-brother of Revolutionary War figure and future governor William Moultrie, was named the state's first Attorney General un ...

. In response to recent restrictions on abortion rights in her state, McLeod sponsored a bill (H. 4544) in December 2015 that would impose similar restrictions for access to

Viagra Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is unclear if it is effective for treating sexual dysfunction in women. It is taken by ...

and similar drugs that treat

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of male ...

. During her career, McLeod has criticized what she describes as the "old guard" of South Carolina politics. McLeod endorsed

Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...

for president in 2016. McLeod serves on the Senate Corrections and Penology; Family and Veterans' Services; Judiciary; Medical Affairs, and Rules Committees. In 2021, she announced her candidacy for

. She was defeated in the Democratic primary by former United States Representative Joe Cunningham. On January 10, 2023, she announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party and become an Independent. In 2023, she joined with a Democrat and three Republican women state senators, calling themselves, "The Sister Senators": Sen. Mia McLeod, Sen. Katrina Shealy (R-Lexington), Sen. Penry Gustafson (R-Kershaw), Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews (D-Colleton), and Sen. Sandy Senn (R-Charleston). They blocked male state senators from passing a bill that would ban all abortions in South Carolina. She favors a codification of Roe, which had been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.The Unexpected Women Blocking South Carolina’s Near-Total Abortion Ban
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', Kate Zernike, May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023. In September 2023 it was announced that "The Sister Senators" had been selected to receive the

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

Profiles in Courage Award The Profile in Courage Award is a private award given to recognize displays of courage similar to those John F. Kennedy originally described in his Profiles in Courage, book of the same name. It is given to individuals (often elected officials) wh ...

. The award was presented in an October 2023 ceremony at the

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighbor ...

Electoral history

References

External links

*
Legislative pageAppearances
on

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Appearance
on

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...

with Ali Velshi
Sister Senators' speeches
at

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighbo ...

Ceremony 1968 births 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians African-American state legislators in South Carolina African-American women in politics Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Living people People from Bennettsville, South Carolina People from Lancaster, South Carolina University of South Carolina alumni Women in the South Carolina State Senate {{SouthCarolina-politician-stub