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Eunice Lehmacher

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Eunice Lehmacher
Image of Eunice Lehmacher

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

South Young High School

Bachelor's

Concordia University, 1985

Graduate

Catholic University of America, 1996

Personal
Birthplace
Lexington, Mo.
Religion
Christian: Lutheran
Profession
Social work
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Eunice Lehmacher (Democratic Party) ran for election to the South Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 3. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Lehmacher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Lehmacher was born in Lexington, Missouri. She grew up in Wilson, North Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee. Lehmacher earned her bachelor's degree from Concordia University in 1985 and her master's degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1996. Her career experience includes working as a medical social worker at Oconee Memorial Hospital and as a counselor, owner of a private counseling practice, high school math and science teacher, library associate, and church educator.[1][2][3] She has been affiliated with the South Carolina Society for Clinical Social Workers and the Clinical Social Work Association.[3]

Elections

2024

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3

Phillip Bowers defeated Eunice Lehmacher in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Phillip Bowers
Phillip Bowers (R)
 
64.3
 
8,281
Image of Eunice Lehmacher
Eunice Lehmacher (D) Candidate Connection
 
35.6
 
4,587
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
15

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 12,883
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Eunice Lehmacher advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3

Phillip Bowers defeated incumbent Jerry Carter in the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 on June 11, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Phillip Bowers
Phillip Bowers
 
54.1
 
1,574
Image of Jerry Carter
Jerry Carter
 
45.9
 
1,338

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,912
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lehmacher in this election.

Pledges

Lehmacher signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2020

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3

Jerry Carter defeated Eunice Lehmacher in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jerry Carter
Jerry Carter (R) Candidate Connection
 
65.6
 
9,214
Image of Eunice Lehmacher
Eunice Lehmacher (D) Candidate Connection
 
34.3
 
4,819
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
20

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 14,053
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3

Jerry Carter defeated Phillip Bowers in the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 on June 23, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jerry Carter
Jerry Carter Candidate Connection
 
62.0
 
1,192
Image of Phillip Bowers
Phillip Bowers
 
38.0
 
731

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,923
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Eunice Lehmacher advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3

Jerry Carter and Phillip Bowers advanced to a runoff. They defeated William Masters in the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jerry Carter
Jerry Carter Candidate Connection
 
43.5
 
1,718
✔
Image of Phillip Bowers
Phillip Bowers
 
40.1
 
1,583
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
William Masters
 
16.4
 
646

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,947
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Eunice Lehmacher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lehmacher's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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I have spent three decades working as a social worker, health care professional, teacher, and small business owner. My work in Oconee and Pickens county has developed and strengthened skills essential for any leader including listening, working through crises, creating compromises, and finding small steps to solve larger problems. My work experiences included owning a private counseling practice, providing outpatient counseling at Oconee Memorial Hospital, being a grief counselor, working as a psychotherapist, and teaching high school. Currently I work for Included Health Inc., providing psychotherapy for adults. After personally witnessing the hardships endured by the people I met personally and professionally, I have worked throughout my career to aid those in my community in various volunteer roles including: teaching courses about mental health and health, fighting for affordable housing, leading church and neighborhood working groups, leading community dialogues about race, advocating local and state government officials to take legislative action on behalf of vulnerable populations. I enjoy gardening, hiking, reading, board games, dogs, and spending time with family and friends in my free time.
  • Freedom: Every person should have a safe place to call home, the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water, the freedom to make decisions about their health. Governments should make decisions that increase citizens freedoms, not limit their choices for education, health care, work and safe living. Legislative action should empower families and all citizens to live full and fulfilled lives.
  • Families: Parents need to have the freedom to believe their kids will come home safe at the end of the school day. Children of all races and backgrounds should have the freedom to learn and access the books they want to read. Everyone should have the freedom to decide when and if they want to have kids. Together with their parents and their doctors South Carolinians should be allowed to determine their own options for health care without government interference. Local and state governments can help (e.g. providing funding for public schools), but it is teachers and librarians who determine content and instruction materials. I want to empower families to thrive and I want children to live in a world that they know has a bright future.
  • Our future: Throughout our history, we’ve joined across races and places to solve big problems. As a leader I will help deliver a better future for our children, grandchildren, and future generations by unleashing the power of community. Together we can provide cheap renewable energy available to all renters and homeowners, clean air and water, good paying jobs, and opportunities to learn. I will support policies and introduce bills that will protect the natural beauty of South Carolina and preserve natural areas, be those in parks or in cities, for future generations.
Access to affordable housing to people of all races and cultures, accessible and affordable health care for every resident of South Carolina (including affordable medication), and polices that protect the earth and create cleaner cheaper energy while also providing clean air and water for everyone who lives and visits South Carolina.
Just Mercy and its author Bryan Stevenson inspire me. He persisted to help people despite constant opposition and discrimination. Stevenson often repeats his belief that we must have proximity to people facing difficult issues in order to understand their situations and then help them. My opponents attempt offer solutions to difficult problems like health care without being proximate to the problems of many facing illness, eviction, or unemployment. We need leaders who have spent time with people of all socioeconomic levels, have listened to their stuggles, and persistently work towards solutions like Stevenson does.
Elected officials must be good listeners, constant learners, and open to working with people of different races, beliefs and values. Representatives must good researchers of issues and persistent enough to follow through on issues that matter to voters even when initial efforts to create effective legislation are unsuccessful.
Optimism, persistence, being a quick learner, a passion for helping others, listening skills, good communication and organizational skills, an excellent memory, and the willingness to compromise.
I would like to work on improving our care for the Earth so that my children and all future generations can enjoy the beauty of South Carolina's mountains, beach, lakes, and all places in nature for thousands of years to come.
I worked at Long John Silver's Restaurant starting at age 16.
Arwen from the Lord of the Rings.
Trees We'll Never See by Marshall Altman and Michael White (performed by Amy Grant).

Lyrics I especially like:
"We're all sons and daughters, just ripples on the water
Try'na make it matter until our time to leave
One day, they'll carve your name in stone
And send your soul on home
'Til then it's prayin' for rain and pullin' up the weeds
Plantin' trees we'll never see

First day of spring
The whole world's wakin' up and turnin' green
And everything connects to everything
It's a beautiful design
It just takes love and faith and grace, a little time."

Instead of working only on the immediate needs (or crises), we need to make decisions for South Carolina's future and it's future residents.
In South Carolina, across race, place, and background, we know our worth. We are worth paychecks that equal the true value of our work, quality schools that teach the truth of our past, and clean air, water, and energy that our families can depend on. We are worth more than the politicians in power in our state who abandon us in times of trouble, then hope we’ll shame and blame Black and brown, transgender, and new Americans for our struggles. I believe in South Carolinian's worth and what to chart a sustainable future where people in every corner of our state have the freedom to thrive, have well paying jobs, have clean air and water, have access to affordable energy, food, and housing regardless of their income level. Our biggest challenge is work together to create this sustainable future. We must stop taking sides, instead working toward the common good of all South Carolinians.
Yes, I believe it's critical to build relationships with other leaders on both sides of the aisle. Compromise is a critical part of leading a state as diverse as South Carolina. Knowing other leaders, both personally and professionally, makes it easier to talk and listen on issues where we may disagree.
I model myself after Mayor Larry Abernathy who successfully lead the City of Clemson for 28 years and who was a personal friend. He led by listening, using his own interpersonal skills honed as a professional counselor. He championed issues that connected Clemson, the university and its people and always was available to talk to residents.
Yes, when I was working for Hospice of the Foothills I met more than one family who lost their home, prior to their loved one being on hospice, because of medical bills. No one should loose their home because they are treating an illness. Affordable medications, accessible health care, even in rural areas, and increased access to all kinds of medical services can prevent another family from loosing their home. Expanding Medicaid and increasing the number of medical professionals that are licensed in South Carolina can prevent improve the health of all of our citizens. Health care access also allows healthy citizens to work and contribute to the economy and community where they live.
Center for Free Thought Equality, Moms Demand Action
Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environmental Affairs Committee; Education and Public Works Committee: Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee; Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs Committee
A state ballot initiative to insure women's rights to have an abortion. Currently, the SC Senate, SC House and SC Supreme Court which are dominated by men, has limited abortion access without fully understanding the medical implications. The new law is making it harder for our state, which already had a shortage of gynecologists, to recruit and keep gynecologist and other doctors who have been affected by the abortion ban. I believe the voters, and not the state government, should decide if and when abortion is available in our state.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Candidate Conversations

Moderated by journalist and political commentator Greta Van Susteren, Candidate Conversations is a virtual debate format that allows voters to easily get to know their candidates through a short video Q&A. Click below to watch the conversation for this race.

Candidate Connection

Eunice Lehmacher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lehmacher's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Eunice Lehmacher is a social worker at Oconee Memorial Hospital. Her career has been dedicated to teaching, counseling, and assisting the marginalized and disadvantaged. Her husband Gerald is a professor of physics at Clemson University. They have two grown sons who study and work in mathematics and computer science. Eunice and Gerald have lived in Clemson for 18 years where their sons graduated from local public schools. Eunice loves the beautiful state of SC and enjoys hiking in the upstate and attending community and university events. She is committed to making Pickens County/SC a better place for all to live.

Eunice believes in serving her community as both organizer and volunteer. She has worked as teacher, counselor, grant writer and leader with many church, community and university groups including Family Promise of Pickens County (family homeless shelter), the Camelot Homeowners Association, University Lutheran Church of Clemson, the Alzheimer's Association, Our Daily Bread, Clemson Area Pledge to End Racism, and the Clemson Area Food Exchange. She opened a small business in Seneca as a local mental health counselor and has assisted in the creation of several local service organizations including Golden Corner Respite Care for persons with dementia.

  • More opportunities for everyone to grow and thrive including better educational opportunities, improved access to health care, and better support for small businesses
  • Access to cheaper cleaner energy sources and infrastructure improvements (clean water, improved road, better energy grid, etc.)
  • Putting Pickens county back to work (including help for the unemployed and furloughed, small business loans, continued support for renters and landlords doing this unprecedented time)
● improved voter representation and voter access

● economic growth (especially for blue and green collar jobs)
● more access to workforce affordable housing
● encouraging small businesses
● better training and support for law enforcement and first responders
● improved educational opportunities
● better access to health care
● infrastructure improvements

● racial and economic justice
I look up to women like Senator Barbara Milkuski, retired senator from Maryland and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and locally Samantha Wallace, candidate for Greenville County council. All of these women had the courage to speak up for those who can't speak for themselves using their talents to advocate for better opportunities for everyone.
The Green Collar Economy by Van Jones

How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Bible
ability to listen, willingness to compromise, willingness to learn, awareness of privilege, ability to prioritize, organizational skills, communication skills, ability to research both sides of issues, and compassion.
I believe my experience listening to many who are struggling as both a teacher and a counselor have honed by ability to listen and will help me to be both attuned to the needs of voters and as well as aware of gaps that exist in safety nets, health care, education, infrastructure, and the economy. My experience in leadership have taught me to welcome ideas, listen careful, seek opinions of diverse groups, and research all options. I have learned to break down big problems into small tasks, the first step towards making meaningful change.
Listening, researching, learning, leading, and providing support to voters in my district
I help the people of my district to grow and thrive.
I remember visiting East Germany in 1972 with my family to visit some my aunts and cousins. I turned 9 on that visit. During this time East Germany was communist. I remember being on the third floor of an apartment building where my aunt's family lived looking down at the children in the street in front of the building. They all gathered around the car we had rented (an orange VW bug, the only bright colored car I recall seeing in East Germany where the few cars that were there were black and dark blue). My mother had purchased some bananas and oranges in West Germany and these were visible through the car windows. A large group of children gathered around the car and were pointing at the fresh fruit. I remember being aware of how privileged I was and wondering what it might be like to be a child in a communist country.
I worked for Long John Silvers as a cashier and server when I was 16 to raise money for college and a car. I chose Long John Silver's because it was within one mile of my parent's house so that I could walk to and from work. As it turned out I spent the money I earned during high school on college instead of a car. Later my brother gave me his old Gremlin which I used when I was a senior in college to do my student teaching experience. It wasn't until I had my first job as a high school math teacher in the Washington DC area that I had enough income to buy and care for my own car.
My favorite book is the Bible which is more like a library. I have found throughout my life that the Bible can be read over and over for deeper and deeper understanding. It provides guidance and teaching on virtually every area of life. The stories of frail humans who were able to have the courage to accept their weaknesses and assist others who needed to learn about unconditional love I find inspiring and helpful. I know that others have used the Bible to support almost any position on earth, but I believe the Bible's primary message is about how unconditional love and acceptance (grace) is the key to an abundant and fulfilled life. The guidance (or "rules") of the Bible show ways people can respond to the grace given and can live more harmoniously with each other. I read the Bible regularly and especially enjoying reading the Bible with others as it has enlarged my understanding of God and grace.
I have dyslexia and had trouble learning to read. In the 1970s there wasn't much help for children with reading problems in my small rural school in North Carolina so I had to learn to adapt. I had to learn to be creative in how I learned since reading did not come easily. I developed skill at listening not only to what the teachers said but also how they said it.
Yes, experience in government is helpful as is all type of experience in leadership and politics. Legislators can develop patterns over years of service that can be detrimental to collaboration and voter engagement. I believe that new, diverse, and younger leaders are needed so that the needs of all voters can be represented in the state house. SC legislature if only 14% female in 2020. More diversity in our leadership will allow us to be more responsive to the needs of our residents.
Our greatest challenge will be returning to economic success as a thriving state after the COVID-19 crisis. Safety nets for those who have lost jobs and businesses will be needed, as well as increased access to health care (especially testing for everyone at this time), support for teachers, first responders, and health care workers, hospitals and businesses. South Carolina will need to address how to help all residents and businesses who have suffered to return to a thriving economy which offers opportunities for every child, family, senior citizen, adult, and individual no matter their situation.
Too much of politics has turned to criticizing those leaders in another party. We have all seen how this leads to stagnation and little legislative progress. I believe it is important to build relationships with other leaders in government including those who I might disagree with. My goal will be to listen first, to both my constituents and other state leaders. I am not going to Columbia to tell others how they are wrong.

After listening, I believe it is important to choose small steps that a majority of legislators can agree on to make progress on larger goals. Building relationships though listening and spending time with other leaders can help everyone be more willing to compromise, setting aside partisan politics to further the goals of offering opportunities to everyone in our state.

For example, much debate has occurred on how to offer better health care and education access to our citizens even though almost everyone agrees that everyone should have access to health care and education. Working toward smaller goals such as providing COVID-19 testing access to everyone in the state who needs tests is a beginning goal to achieve. Other goals such as increased access to health care can be address after building successful coalitions on smaller legislative items.
Barbara Mulkulski, US Senator from MD until 2017.
Gary Clary, US House District 3, present especially how accessible he was to all voters no matter what their party affiliation

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Eunice Lehmacher campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* South Carolina House of Representatives District 3Lost general$24,386 $23,933
2020South Carolina House of Representatives District 3Lost general$49,837 N/A**
Grand total$74,224 $23,933
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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Candidate

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 14, 2020.
    2. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Eunice Lehmacher," April 21, 2020]
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 29, 2024


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