Meet Ryan Thompson, running for South Carolina House of Representatives in District 106
Ryan is a 22 year old candidate who just graduated college and is ready to become a voice for his community members. Ryan believes his candidacy stands out because he has no hidden agendas and is 100% pure in his intentions to become a representative. His slogan is “Your choice for a new voice”!
Ryan graduated with a degree in Political Science and was even the student body president at his university. Through this leadership role, Ryan realized that if he wanted to see changes in this world, he would have to step up and do it himself.
Education is Ryan’s first priority. Throughout his time in high school, he saw more and more great teachers leave their teaching jobs out of nowhere. Not because they got fired, but because they could not live on the wage that teachers are being paid in South Carolina. Ryan even told us that some of his friends with teaching degrees are starting to look for different jobs that will pay them enough to not only survive, but to live a good, stable life. This is why Ryan believes in fighting for fair wages for teachers as they are such an important part of every community yet they seem to be undervalued across the board. Ryan’s journey to becoming a candidate started many years ago with his interest in studying and following local political races. He always knew he wanted to run, and when an open seat appeared in his district, he knew it was time!
According to Ryan, a pressing issue within this district is corruption. We found out that developers and politicians have simply been up to no good in these communities. An example we learned of is a developer who pushed to build 3,000 houses in an area without safe, proper roads leading to it. This is just one example of how the leaders within this community aren’t focused on the right priorities— choosing money over people’s quality of life. If elected, Ryan vows to make politics second and put community connections first.
Ryan began working on his campaign at 21, with just his close friends and family by his side. He has grown so much since then he now has a volunteer team of his own. To Ryan, success means that the people in his district will live a life of dignity, instead of just survival. He also wants to see things in his state “go back to normal”, something many of us can relate to. The past few years have been dividing and confusing for many people and a sense of stability would help greatly. Even at this point, Ryan says that he feels successful because he has achieved something far beyond what he imagined for himself. He says it feels liberating to gain the confidence to become a strong candidate and put himself out into the world.
Ryan wants you to know that South Carolina is one of the most beautiful areas in the states. He even describes his hometown as the “perfect set for a Hallmark movie”. But most of all, Ryan values the people in his state. Hearing their stories is what matters to him the most and he has listened to enough people to know that South Carolina is changing for the better.
Ryan told us that his home state doesn’t even have a hate crime law that protects people like himself. Being an outwardly gay candidate, Ryan has a strong drive to make his state a place that everyone can safely call home no matter what their appearance, status, or background may be. He believes that everyone deserves a government that makes them feel safe, protected and welcomed in their community. Ryan is a collector of tattoos, each one telling a different story from his life. He is a strong supporter of bodily autonomy and values the importance of self expression for all people!