The Democratic primary election was canceled. Sydney Clinton advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 98.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 98
Incumbent Chris Murphy defeated Greg Ford in the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 98 on June 14, 2022.
Sydney Clinton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Clinton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
I am a 20-year-old South Carolinian: daughter to two military veterans; a sister; a college student; and a
friend. I am someone who believes in service to something bigger than myself. I am a football fan. SPURS
UP and Roll Tide (in that order). I love Zac Brown Band and Dr. Dre – equally. I am curious, impassioned,
independent, and trustworthy. I am equal parts excited and scared for the future of this country. I am
frustrated at the lack of representation for all groups and all voices within our society. I listen first and
speak second. I value all my neighbors and my whole community. I do not have all the answers. I am
hardworking, diligent, and tenacious. I am the future generation of leaders in this country and the future
The first message of my campaign is to let young people know politics are more important to our generation than any other. The policies being enacted today are intended to be long- lasting and it’s our generation who will be impacted by them longer.
The second message is my campaign is about providing a choice to the people in District 98. Democracy is being able to choose who represents you, and for the past eight years, District 98 has had only once option on the ballot in November.
My third message is about innovation and creativity. Status quo in the 21 st Century means moving backwards. District 98 has had no substantive change in the past 12 years, so it’s time for fresh ideas to drive.
There are three qualities I possess which I believe will make me a successful
officeholder. First, I have a passion for service. I believe in being a part of something bigger than myself
and that I have an obligation to leave the world around me better than how I found it. Second, I have a
deep love for the state of South Carolina. I am a military child and my family came here to plant roots
and so that my sister and I “could be from somewhere”. I have taken this to heart, and I want to be a
part of the change to create a better version of South Carolina. Lastly, I believe I have the humility to
lead. I recognize when I don’t have all the right answers and so I am unafraid to ask questions. I am the
first to admit when my decision may have been the wrong one, as I ensure I don’t make the same
I believe state representatives have an obligation to represent ALL of the people within their district, not just those who vote for them; They need to look after the best interests of not only the district, but the state at large; And finally I believe they have a responsibility to recognize they do not have all of the answers and they may not be the smartest person in the room and therefore should be willing to explore new ideas from new sources.
The first historical event I remember was the war in Afghanistan. Specifically, I remember the morning my dad left for Afghanistan in 2007, when I was five years old. He and I played Barbies on our kitchen table while he waited for his ride to the airport to arrive. Even though as I grew older and learned the war broke out shortly after Sept 11, 2001, and I was born seven days later, the impact this particular “event” has had on me and our extended Marine Corps
“family” has taught me about what selfless service means in the strictest of definitions: to the men, like my dad, and women who left; along with the wives, husbands, sons, and daughters they left behind.
South Carolina’s two greatest challenges over the next decade are a failing education system
and overburdened, outdated infrastructure. South Carolina currently ranks 43 rd in public education; our
teachers are paid 22.5% below the national average; and we spend 35% less per student than the
national average. Without significant and deliberate investment in the public school system, future
generations of South Carolinians will not only be unable to compete in the global marketplace, they will
be unable to compete for basic jobs paying a living wage.
The outdated and overburdened infrastructure includes thoroughfares which are unsuitable for daily
commutes and intrastate travel. It includes a lack of access to broadband across the state, drastically
limiting 21 st Century technology to over half of the state. And finally, it includes a public transportation
system which doesn’t even come close to meeting the needs of either urban or rural communities.
While in some circumstances I do believe experience can be beneficial for state legislators, I also believe it can be detrimental. It becomes detrimental when the experience being brought to the table is one of failed ideas, lack of innovation, and an unwillingness to seek new and different opinions because “that’s the way things are done”. When a state continues to decline in every meaningful measure, and the body continues doing the same thing session after session, it’s time to do something different. Otherwise, it’s doing nothing but reinforcing failure.
I firmly believe compromise is both necessary and desirable in policymaking. It is necessary because it is
extremely rare to find even two individuals who completely agree on every single thing, let alone
thousands or tens of thousands. Therefore, any type of policy being passed by a legislative body has gone
through countless compromises along the way. It’s the only way to get anything accomplished. It is also
desirable because you want to ensure every perspective has been considered and discussed prior to a
policy being enacted. Neither of the political parties in our two-party system has all of the right answers
on any topic, regardless of what they both espouse. The goal is to represent all of the people, not just
those who agree with you or who vote your party line, and the way to ensure that is to recognize good
ideas can come from anywhere.
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.
Note: Clinton submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 11, 2022.
I am a 20-year-old South Carolinian: daughter to two military veterans; a sister; a college student; and a friend. I am someone who believes in service to something bigger than myself. I am a football fan. SPURS UP and Roll Tide (in that order). I love Zac Brown Band and Dr. Dre – equally. I am curious, impassioned, independent, and trustworthy. I am equal parts excited and scared for the future of this country. I am frustrated at the lack of representation for all groups and all voices within our society. I listen first and speak second. I value all my neighbors and my whole community. I do not have all the answers. I am hardworking, diligent, and tenacious. I am the future generation of leaders in this country and the future is happening today
The first message of my campaign is to let young people know politics are more important to our generation than any other. The policies being enacted today are intended to be long-lasting and it’s our generation who will be impacted by them longer.
The second message is my campaign is about providing a choice to the people in District 98. Democracy is being able to choose who represents you, and for the past eight years, District 98 has had only once option on the ballot in November.
My third message is about innovation and creativity. Status quo in the 21st Century means moving backwards. District 98 has had no substantive change in the past 12 years, so it’s time for fresh ideas to drive.
There are three qualities I possess which I believe will make me a successful officeholder. First, I have a passion for service. I believe in being a part of something bigger than myself and that I have an obligation to leave the world around me better than how I found it. Second, I have a deep love for the state of South Carolina. I am a military child and my family came here to plant roots and so that my sister and I “could be from somewhere”. I have taken this to heart, and I want to be a part of the change to create a better version of South Carolina. Lastly, I believe I have the humility to lead. I recognize when I don’t have all the right answers and so I am unafraid to ask questions. I am the first to admit when my decision may have been the wrong one, as I ensure I don’t make the same mistake twice.
I believe state representatives have an obligation to represent ALL of the people within their district, not just those who vote for them; They need to look after the best interests of not only the district, but the state at large; And finally I believe they have a responsibility to recognize they do not have all of the answers and they may not be the smartest person in the room and therefore should be willing to explore new ideas from new sources.
The first historical event I remember was the war in Afghanistan. Specifically, I remember the morning my dad left for Afghanistan in 2007, when I was five years old. He and I played Barbies on our kitchen table while he waited for his ride to the airport to arrive. Even though as I grew older and learned the war broke out shortly after Sept 11, 2001, and I was born seven days later, the impact this particular “event” has had on me and our extended Marine Corps “family” has taught me about what selfless service means in the strictest of definitions: to the men, like my dad, and women who left; along with the wives, husbands, sons, and daughters they left behind.
First job: Swim instructor. I have been teaching swim lessons to both children and adults since I was 15 years old. Looking back, I recognize this job afforded me the opportunity to not only teach the techniques of swim strokes, but also life skills such as managing stress, overcoming fears, and pushing through physical challenges. It was the first opportunity I had to serve in my community and one I will never forget.
South Carolina’s two greatest challenges over the next decade are a failing education system and overburdened, outdated infrastructure. South Carolina currently ranks 43rd in public education; our teachers are paid 22.5% below the national average; and we spend 35% less per student than the national average. Without significant and deliberate investment in the public school system, future generations of South Carolinians will not only be unable to compete in the global marketplace, they will be unable to compete for basic jobs paying a living wage.
The outdated and overburdened infrastructure includes thoroughfares which are unsuitable for daily commutes and intrastate travel. It includes a lack of access to broadband across the state, drastically limiting 21st Century technology to over half of the state. And finally, it includes a public transportation system which doesn’t even come close to meeting the needs of either urban or rural communities.
While in some circumstances I do believe experience can be beneficial for state legislators, I also believe it can be detrimental. It becomes detrimental when the experience being brought to the table is one of failed ideas, lack of innovation, and an unwillingness to seek new and different opinions because “that’s the way things are done”. When a state continues to decline in every meaningful measure, and the body continues doing the same thing session after session, it’s time to do something different. Otherwise, it’s doing nothing but reinforcing failure.
I firmly believe compromise is both necessary and desirable in policymaking. It is necessary because it is extremely rare to find even two individuals who completely agree on every single thing, let alone thousands or tens of thousands. Therefore, any type of policy being passed by a legislative body has gone through countless compromises along the way. It’s the only way to get anything accomplished. It is also desirable because you want to ensure every perspective has been considered and discussed prior to a policy being enacted. Neither of the political parties in our two-party system has all of the right answers on any topic, regardless of what they both espouse. The goal is to represent all of the people, not just those who agree with you or who vote your party line, and the way to ensure that is to recognize good ideas can come from anywhere.
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.
Note: Clinton submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on June 13, 2022.
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