Lisa Ellis (American politician)

Last updated
Lisa Ellis
Lisa Ellis.png
Personal details
Born (1975-08-28) August 28, 1975 (age 48)
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Other political
affiliations		 Alliance
Education College of Charleston (BA)
Clemson University (MS)
Columbia College (MA)

Lisa Ellis (born August 28, 1975) is an American educator who was the 2022 fusion candidate, Democratic, and Alliance Party nominee [1] for South Carolina's superintendent of education and is the founder of the education advocacy group SC for Ed. She was defeated by Republican Ellen Weaver in the November 2022 general election.

Contents

Personal life and career

Ellis (right) with Jesse Jackson at a Democratic fundraising event. Jesse Jackson - Lisa Ellis.png
Ellis (right) with Jesse Jackson at a Democratic fundraising event.

Ellis is an educator in Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the student activities director at Blythewood High School. [2] Additionally, she has taught at Ridge View High School, Hand Middle School, and Fairfield Middle School in Columbia. [3] According to WLTX News, “Over her career, Ellis has earned the accolades of Honors Student Teacher of Excellence, Student Council Advisor of the Year, Staff of the Month, Columbia Business League Phenom, and more. She is also a CERRA Mentor and member of the Junior League of South Carolina.”. [4]

In 2019, Ellis founded an educational advocacy group, SC for Ed, with the purposes of improving teacher retention, increasing teacher pay, and decreasing class sizes. In May 2019, SC for Ed led a march at the South Carolina Statehouse, in which over 10,000 people marched. In the years since the organizations founding, Ellis has led various marches and protests and advocated for stricter COVID-19 measures, including mask mandates and virtual learning, [5] a reduction of gun violence in schools and higher teacher pay. [6] After winning the June 2022 Democratic primary for state superintendent, Ellis stepped down from her position as executive director of SC for Ed to focus on her campaign. [7] She is the only candidate to ever run for state superintendent of education while simultaneously remaining a classroom teacher. [8]

Politics

On June 14, 2022, Ellis won the Democratic primary against Gary Burgess, former Anderson County School District 4 Superintendent and Jerry Govan, South Carolina House representative. She secured 50.1% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election by 199 votes. [9] [10] In the debate for superintendent of education, Ellis advocated in favor of social and emotional learning (SEL), drawing criticism from Ellen Weaver and Kathy Maness, who accused the idea of being associated with Critical race theory and "theory-laden." [3] [11] Ellis and her opponent, Ellen Weaver, have garnered more news coverage and attention to the race for superintendent of education than most races in the past. Political experts have cited this as the most partisan election in recent history because of the current national spotlight on educational issues. [12] Weaver has made claims that "woke indoctrination" has been taking place in schools. [12] In a September 2022 interview, Ellis said that the General Assembly's attempt to outlaw the teaching of critical race theory was "unnecessary," and that the legislature has "created a ghost to get away from what is actually happening in schools" in an effort to redirect funding for public education to private schools. [13]

Critics of Ellis, especially online media outlet FITSNews, which has a history of anti-labor positions, [14] have labeled Ellis and her advocacy group as "liberal" or "mob" or "union." [15] Local news outlets such as The State newspaper and WIS (TV) as well as members of the South Carolina General Assembly have cited data and opinions from Ellis in explaining issues like the state teacher shortage. [16] [17] [18]

After winning the primary election, Ellis announced she would step down as executive director of SC for Ed, though she intends on remaining a classroom teacher throughout her campaign. [19] [20] Ellis was the first Democrat to run for superintendent since 2014; Molly Spearman ran unopposed in 2018. [21] Ellis received the endorsement of the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives, Jim Clyburn, and of Jim Rex, the last Democrat to hold the office since 2011. [22] [8] Ellis was also the nominee for state superintendent of education for the Alliance Party. [13]

In the 2022 debate for South Carolina state superintendent of education, Ellen Weaver accused the group for pushing progressive legislation and "pronoun politics," [23] and also said that she believes that the group believes parents are "domestic terrorists." Ellis, on the other hand, "mostly avoided partisan talking points," according to The State. [24]

Receiving 43% of the popular vote, Ellis lost the general election Weaver. [25] She conceded the election following day. [26] In her concession statement, Ellis said, "We will continue to stay persistent and continue to fight for every student to have a high-quality education in our state," she said in the statement. "We have mobilized voters across our state who previously did not feel their voice mattered; we have given teachers and families a choice in who represents them and empowered them to use their voice." [27] She continues to work as a full-time teacher and student activities director.

Electoral history

Superintendent of Education Democratic Primary 2022 [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Lisa Ellis 87,229 50.1%
Democratic Gary Burgess54,31731.2%
Democratic Jerry Govan Jr. 32,47318.7%
Total votes174,019 100%
South Carolina Superintendent of Education Election, 2022 [29]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ellen Weaver 934,80255.5%
Democratic Lisa Ellis [lower-alpha 1] 719,91842.7%
Green Patricia Mickle27,3551.6%
Total votes1,683,812 100%
Republican hold

Notes

  1. ↑ Ellis ran as both a candidate for the Democratic and Alliance parties. Her vote total is a combination of votes cast for both parties.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry McMaster</span> 117th governor of South Carolina since 2017

Henry Dargan McMaster is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 50th Attorney General of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011 and the 91st lieutenant governor of South Carolina from 2015 to 2017 under Governor Nikki Haley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Mark Sanford, the Republican nominee, defeated incumbent Democratic Governor Jim Hodges to become the 115th governor of South Carolina. Hodges became only the third incumbent governor and the first Democratic governor in South Carolina history to lose reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Sanford was term limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010, and a runoff election, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks later on June 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina</span> Election

The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim DeMint won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Alvin Greene. However, DeMint did not serve out the full term to which he was elected; he resigned in 2013 to become president of The Heritage Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Superintendent of Education</span>

The South Carolina superintendent of education is the executive of the South Carolina Department of Education. The superintendent is responsible for overseeing the 1.5 billion dollar budget of the department and ensuring that schools and schools districts are abiding by federal and state laws as well as the requirements established by the department. The superintendent is elected at-large and serves a term of four years. The position has no term limits. The current superintendent of education is Ellen Weaver, a Republican, who was elected in 2022 upon the retirement of Molly Spearman.

Andy Patrick is an American politician from the state of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Patrick was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 123rd district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 South Carolina elections</span> Elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of South Carolina on November 4, 2014. All of South Carolina's executive officers were up for election as well as both United States Senate seats, and all of South Carolina's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Jerry N. Govan Jr. is an American politician. He is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 95th District, serving since 1992. He is a member of the Democratic party. During his time as a legislator he chaired the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the Governor of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican Governor Henry McMaster, who took office after Nikki Haley resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, ran for election to a full term. The primary was held on June 12, with the Democrats nominating State Representative James E. Smith Jr. McMaster failed to win a majority of the vote, and then defeated John Warren in the Republican runoff on June 26. In the general election, McMaster defeated Smith, winning election to a full term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Timmons (politician)</span> American politician (born 1984)

William Richardson Timmons IV is an American attorney, entrepreneur and politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 4th congressional district since 2019. His district is in the heart of the Upstate and includes Greenville, Spartanburg, and most of their suburbs. A member of the Republican Party, Timmons served as the South Carolina state senator from the 6th district from 2016 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span> Election for Governor of South Carolina

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 Republican nomination in the June 14 primary. Joe Cunningham, former United States Representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district, was the Democratic nominee. McMaster won the general election with 58% of the vote — a larger margin than in 2018.

Wendy C. Brawley is an American politician. She is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 70th District, serving since 2017. She is a member of the Democratic party. She was defeated by Democrat Jermaine Johnson in the 2022 Democratic primary election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Rickenmann</span> American businessman and politician

Daniel Rickenmann is an American businessman and politician, serving as the Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Carolina House of Representatives election</span>

The 2022 South Carolina House of Representatives election took place on November 8, 2022, as part of the biennial United States elections. South Carolina voters elected state representatives in all 124 of the state's house districts. Republicans flipped eight seats held by Democrats, while Democrats flipped one seat held by a Republican; with their majority expanded by a net gain of seven seats, Republicans achieved a supermajority in the chamber.

SC for Ed, founded in 2018 by Lisa Ellis, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit political advocacy group in South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Weaver</span> American politician

Ellen Weaver is a Republican politician and former conservative think-tank leader who has served as South Carolina Superintendent of Education since January 11, 2023. She defeated fusion candidate and current educator Lisa Ellis in the general election in November 2022. She is the former president and CEO of the Palmetto Promise Institute, a conservative think tank in South Carolina which supports public funding of private schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Maness</span> American politician

Kathy Maness is an American educator and politician. Maness serves as a member of the town council from Lexington, South Carolina, and has been the executive director of the Palmetto State Teachers Association since February 16, 2005.

The Palmetto State Teachers Association( PSTA) is the largest professional organization for educators in the U.S. state of South Carolina. PSTA was founded in 1976 as a non-profit organization and currently has 12,500 member teachers.

Daniel Gibson is an American politician. He is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 12th District. He is a member of the Republican party.

Joe White is an American businessman and politician who is serving as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 40th district.

References

  1. ↑ "Why is Lisa Ellis, Superintendent of Education candidate, on the ballot twice in South Carolina?". WYFF. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ↑ "About Lisa Ellis". lisaellisforscschools.org. Lisa Ellis. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 "S.C. Superintendent of Education candidates share their viewpoints on the issues". The Gaffney Ledger. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Ellen Weaver wins SC superintendent's race, Ellis concedes". WLTX 19. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "Teacher's back-to-school COVID-19 fears". ABC News. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Turcotte, Maura. "CRT, masking and vaccines: SC's superintendent race has grown more partisan". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "SC State Superintendent candidate steps down from role as execute director of SC for Ed". WISTV. 22 June 2022.
  8. 1 2 Tejada, Alex (28 July 2022). "Democratic candidate for state superintendent of education joins new party".
  9. ↑ "Ellis wins Democratic education race without a runoff". WLTX. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  10. ↑ Collins, Jeffery. "SC education superintendent primaries end in one runoff, apparent victory in other contest". WLTX.
  11. ↑ "SC Superintendent of Education Candidate Questionnaire Responses" (PDF). Public Education Partners. Greenville County, SC. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  12. 1 2 Turncotte, Maura. "With Weaver's runoff win, partisan issues begin to dominate superintendent's race". The Post and Courrier. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  13. 1 2 Raven, Jason. "Democratic candidate for SC education superintendent says she would 'elevate teacher voice'". counton2. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "labor unions Archives - FITSNews". 2017-12-20. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  15. ↑ "Liberal South Carolina 'Red For Ed' Group Pushes Teacher Walkouts". FITSNEWS. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Teachers leaving public schools for reasons other than pay". WIS News. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "SC for Ed says schools 'potentially broken'; Horry County points to efforts to improve staffing". WBTW News. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  18. ↑ Daprile, Lucas. "Two in five SC teachers are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID19, study says". The State Newspaper. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Turcotte, Maura. "Superintendent candidate Lisa Ellis takes leave of absence from teacher organization". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  20. ↑ "Weaver, Ellis to face off in race for Superintendent of Education". WYFF. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "2018 Statewide General Elections". scvotes.org. South Carolina Election Commission. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "Former State Superintendents of Education". ed.sc.gov. South Carolina Department of Education. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  23. ↑ 2022 Superintendent of Education Debate , retrieved 2024-01-03
  24. ↑ Koeske, Zak (November 9, 2022). "Republican school choice advocate Ellen Weaver elected as SC education superintendent". The State Newspaper. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  25. ↑ "2022 Statewide General Election Election Night Reporting". scvotes.org. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "GOP holds on to SC State Superintendent of Education office with Weaver win". WISTV. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  27. ↑ "Republican Ellen Weaver elected as SC superintendent of education". The Greenville News. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  28. ↑ "2022 Statewide Primaries Election Night Reporting". scvotes.org. State of South Carolina. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  29. ↑ "2022 Statewide General Election Election Night Reporting". scvotes.org. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Tom Thompson
 Democratic nominee for South Carolina Superintendent of Education
2022		Most recent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.