Spain is 1st Black woman to lead South Carolina Democrats

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Christale Spain, a longtime party operative, has been elected as chair of South Carolina’s Democratic Party. She became the first Black woman to lead the organization in what will be the Democrats’ leadoff presidential voting state in 2024. Spain takes over in a wave of changes across state Democratic parties for 2024. With her election Saturday, and thanks to the party’s recent revamp of its primary schedule, four of the five states in which Democrats will vote first next year — Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina — now have Black women chairing their state parties. Spain had backing from party leaders including Rep. Jim Clyburn and Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison.