Charleston, South Carolina – On Wednesday night, the Peninsula Democrats held a forum on the future of the Democratic Party with a House member and two long-time political advisors ahead of the 2026 election.
This occurrence occurs at a time when the state has experienced recent political gerrymandering and a decline in the number of Democrats in the legislature. Since 2013, South Carolina Democrats have lost approximately 25% of their State House seats, and the number of Democrats in the State House has never been lower since the 1800s.
The panel stressed the urgent necessity for younger representation, taking radical positions and eventually resolving an ongoing identity crisis.
“We’re not going to get any solutions until people start showing up,” says Richie Gergel, Peninsula Democrats co-president. “The most important thing is to attend meetings like these, protests, and vote on election day. We just need to show there and get organized.
With many in attendance, the event began with a panel discussion featuring Rep. Kambrell Garvin, political consultant Brady Quirk-Garvan, and Columbia lawyer Chris Kenney.
The panelists advised Democrats in the state not to give up hope in the party and to start making “noise.” They also stated it’s vital to remind Democrats in Charleston that it’s the lightest shade of blue and they shouldn’t be “complacent.”
“We will lose seats if we don’t fight,” Quirk-Garvan, who is also the former Charleston County Democratic Party Chair, warned at the conference. “This is a scary time in America, and you must do something that makes you nervous. “You must meet the moment.”
Since 2018, Rep. Garvin has represented Richland County and is a member of the Education and Public Works Committee as well as the Government Efficiency and Legislative Oversight Committee. He presented his tale, explaining how he was a young voter who wanted to make a difference.
Garvin identified the primary issues he sees inside the party as “kitchen-table issues” such as the economy and healthcare.
Chris Kenney, who has previously served on dozens of campaigns, believes the Democratic Party is currently lacking “a fight” and “a sense of mission” that is required in a time when the country and the Constitution are at stake.
He believes Democrats should take advantage of the state’s growth to determine the baseline partisanship after many people from other states relocated to South Carolina.
“We need to figure out, okay, all these people from Ohio are here,” Michelle Brandt, an event attendee and former state representative candidate says. Let’s see if we can flip them. Maybe they’re not as Republican as I assumed, because South Carolina Republicans are very different from Republicans in the north and Midwest.”
She believes that more conversations like the roundtable would encourage people to vote and run for office as Democrats.
Many participants also questioned the panelists about the Democratic Party’s infrastructure, given that Republicans hold a majority in both the House and Senate. They also addressed the issue of fundraising and the necessity for donations.
“The Republican Party did not win their position of power in this state overnight,” according to Kenney. “They did it gradually and they did it by competing against one another in primaries and then competing against us and that’s how they came to power and if Democrats have a path back in South Carolina, it’s the same path.”
Panelists also encouraged Democrats to vote in the next elections on November 4.
“If you’re unhappy, that’s fine,” Kenney says. “Run for something.” Do not sit around waiting for your turn or being informed that you lack experience. There are people in this state and in this country that want to give back, to change the course of the country, and that is what politics is all about.”
