Lexington, SC 05/20/2024 (Paul Kirby) – Lorelei Graye is running for the SC House of Representatives to represent the people of District 88. Graye is facing incumbent R.J. May who is the owner and founder of Ivory Tusk Consulting. District 88 covers both South Congaree and Pine Ridge, a large portion of Red Bank, and across I-20 up to East Main Street in Lexington. On the other side it abuts I-26 near the Charleston Highway interchange, runs southward to cover the Gardners Terrace Road portion of the town of Gaston, up to SC Hwy. 6, and encompasses the Edmund Community.
Graye is a lifelong resident of Lexington County with strong ties to this community. She also comes from a military family which has helped her solidify her love for community and serving others. She now lives on Wilson Street in Red Bank close to SC Senator Katrina Shealy (District 23).
She calls herself a self-employed accountant, and an entrepreneur. Graye has a degree from Midlands Technical College and attended the Darla Moore School of Business at USC Columbia. She holds degrees in finance and accounting. She sometimes serves as a substitute teacher and financially assists rescue charities. In a recent interview, Graye said, “I enjoy being able to help in any way I can.”
Graye’s description of herself as a “self-employed accountant” is a somewhat oversimplification of what she does. According to her website at www.loreleiforhouse.com, her diverse career spans business, real estate, and strategic management consulting in private equity. She founded Leodoran Financial, and her work has had her travelling the globe helping some large businesses streamline their operations and improve their financial management systems.
When speaking of her incumbent opponent Graye says, “He’s obstructive and divisive. We all need to be working to unite the Republican Party, not further divide it.” She continued by saying that some things R.J. May stands for she agrees with, but his hardline approach seems to create anger amongst the other members of the House and that can negate any good he is trying to accomplish.
When asked about the State’s annual budget Graye said, “I would work to eliminate waste. We also need to ensure that we have measurable accountability in place and that everything is done with full transparency. This means that member’s requests that are added to the budget after it’s approved should be published where it could easily be found on-line and each of those items should have to be justified,” she stated. “We have to remember whose money were talking about. It’s not the legislatures money, it’s the people’s money.”
Graye says she supports the SC Heartbeat Bill that only allows abortions up until a fetuses heartbeat is detectible. She is also a strong supporter of the State’s 2nd Amendment and says she supports the law. “I will say that as I have been campaigning and knocking on doors, one of the things that I hear regularly is that people are uneasy with the law when it comes to training. The majority of the people that I’ve talked with says that some basic training should be required before you can either conceal or open carry.”
She delved deeper into the subject of the 2nd Amendment saying, “While I affirm the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms, I believe existing felons should face the strictest penalties if caught in possession of a firearm. Strengthening gun penalties in these scenarios is crucial to protecting our community and the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
She says that if elected, another of her focuses would be addressing the challenges of rising costs and crime in our community. On her website at www.loreleiforhouse.com she writes, “To address this, we must take a dual approach: implementing tougher sentences with no bond options for violent offenders and addressing the root causes of crime, violence, and chemical dependency. I advocate for a zero-tolerance policy for fentanyl crimes and drug trafficking to ensure the safety of our community.”
Graye also says increasing prices of basic necessities affect families and individuals in Lexington and West Columbia, draining money from their pockets. “It creates strife in our community and, in turn, harms local businesses. We can create incentives and opportunities to alleviate the financial strain on households while combating rising prices and inflation. These measures will not involve federal-style handouts that contribute to inflation but rather aim to support local businesses and provide short-term relief to households.”
On the issue of education Graye writes that she supports a more equitable education system in South Carolina through school choice and scholarships. “I stand for parents' rights to transparency and choice in their children's education.”
“Our healthcare system requires reform, focusing on increased competition, reduced costs, and improved access and delivery of care to patients.” Graye stated. “Healthcare access for children in our most needy communities and our veterans is vital. We can and should do better for everyone,” she concluded.
In her interview, she was asked about her stance on mental health. This discussion became especially deep when the topic of finding in-patient help for people plagued by substance addiction problems came up. Especially those who have limited or no health care coverage. “To break the cycle of crime, mental health issues, and addiction, we cannot brush over the people here in our community who need help,” she said. “More needs to be available for these who are actively seeking assistance.”
She also said that help cannot stop once a person is clean. “We can increase access to emergency assistance before situations spiral, but then need to build up our community by creating more job opportunities for people in recovery. This involves actively recruiting employers to bring high-paying jobs to our community. I want to stand up for my community and deliver more opportunities,” she said in closing.
Lorelei Graye is not a seasoned politician. Instead, she comes off as a brilliant businessperson who wants to have the opportunity to improve the lives of the people of House District 88. You can contact her by email at www.loreleiforhouse.com/contact if you like to learn more.
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