Three Republican senators in South Carolina who defeated an abortion ban in the state lost their primaries this month.
Katrina Shealey, Sandy Sen And Penry Gustafson lost to three male candidates and was among a bipartisan group of five female state senators who had endorsed a near-total abortion ban. They were nicknamed ‘sister senators’.
As a result of their coordinated efforts, the group was chosen last year to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
“During the filibuster, each of the five lawmakers took turns describing the complexities of pregnancy and the reproductive system, the dangers of lack of access to contraception, and inadequate privacy laws,” the announcement of the award recognition read. “In the immediate aftermath of their filibuster, the sister senators were heckled and harassed by anti-abortion activists. The three Republicans also faced fierce opposition from within their own party — including censure and promises of primary challenges in 2024.”
Shealy conceded to Carlisle Kennedy on Tuesday night, the Post and Courier reported, after receiving 37.5 percent of the vote, according to an unofficial tally of primary runoff results released by South Carolina on Tuesday night. Shealy represents a county in the middle of the state that includes the capital, Columbia.
Kennedy’s campaign website said he is “proudly pro-life,” and he said he will “work to protect the unborn and advocate for policies that support mothers and families.”
The results come after Gustafson and Senn were defeated in the primaries earlier this month.
Gustafson, who represents three counties in the northern part of the state, lost to Allen Blackmon by a wide margin in the June 11 primary after Blackmon received 82% of the vote. Blackmon has also been active on an anti-abortion platform, saying on his campaign website that those “born and pre-born” “deserve protection.”
Senn, who represented the southeastern part of the state including the Charleston area, was defeated by Matt Leber and narrowly lost her race by just over 30 votes. Leber has served in the South Carolina House since 2022 and voted for the bill, which would ban abortion after a “fetal heartbeat is detected.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
