COLUMBIA, S.C. — Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives were sworn into office Tuesday, with nearly a quarter of the representatives newly elected.
Of the 124 members, 27 were newly elected, making it one of the largest freshman classes in decades.
"It’s time to start governing," longest serving Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg) told House members Tuesday. "The people of South Carolina need us."
The House is now made up of 88 Republicans and 36 Democrats, giving the party more than two-thirds of House seats.
That means they can pass almost any type of legislation, even ones that require a high threshold, without a single Democratic vote.
In charge of the Chamber is Speaker Murrell Smith (R-Sumter), who was unanimously elected, along with the other chamber leaders.
Smith touted the state’s success over the years since Republicans first took over the chamber. “We are enjoying the feast of their labor” Smith said.
"A person’s zip code should not indicate their limits," Smith said. "Its time for us to do big things and plant those seeds."
Smith laid out the party's priorities in the upcoming session, which include economic investments, criminal justice reform, and school choice.
While the House gained more new members, it lost some diversity.
Of the seven Democrats who lost their seats, five of them were African American Women, Cobb-Hunter noted on Tuesday.
"You mattered," Cobb-Hunter said. "There are some of us that will miss you and there is a void in this chamber that cannot be filled."
Also reelected on Tuesday were House Clerk Charles Reid, House Reading Clerk James “Bubba” Cromer, Sergeant-at-Arms Mitch Dorman and Chaplin Charles Seastrunk.
The House will return Wednesday to elect committee leadership positions.
State Lawmakers return for the 2023 session January 10.