Richard Cash
| |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 3rd district | |
| Assumed office 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Kevin L. Bryant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1960-03-31) March 31, 1960 (age 64) Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Marcia Williams (m. 1985) |
| Children | 8 |
| Alma mater | Furman University (B.A., 1982) Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MATS, 1990) |
| Profession | Businessman |
| |
Richard J. Cash (born March 31, 1960) is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 3rd district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Cash is known for his conservative stances on LGBT rights and reproductive rights.
Cash was born on March 31, 1960 in Jacksonville, Florida to Thomas and Audrey Cash. He graduated magna cum laude from Furman University in 1982 with a BA in business management. While there, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1990, he received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.[1]
Since 2017, Cash has represented the 3rd Senate district (northern Anderson County) in the South Carolina Senate. He was first elected during a special election to fill the unexpired term of Kevin L. Bryant, who vacated the seat and succeeded to the position of Lt. Governor of South Carolina.[2]
Cash has an established history of anti-LGBT views.[3][4][5][6][7][8] He has opposed hate crime bills because of the inclusion of gender and sexual identities.[9] He consistently sponsors legislation to restrict the rights of transgender youth.[10][3][6][8] In March 2024, Cash outright dismissed the concept of gender and affirmative care, claiming that children can only be transgender because their peers pressure them into it.[11]
Cash is known as one of South Carolina's most staunch abortion foes.[12] For example, when he opposed Lindsey Graham from the right in 2014, his ads touted numerous arrests for protesting abortion[13] and criticized Graham for his positions on abortion.[14]
In 2023, Cash was one of the main Senators to push for tighter abortion restrictions in the state, opposing the 'Sister Senators', the five women who worked together across party lines to resist the bill. The Senate ultimately passed a six-week abortion law that year.[15]
Cash is a Presbyterian, and a member of Christ Church, EPC in Anderson.[1] He is an owner and manager of rental properties.[17]
| Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Cash | Result | Swing | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ±% | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | U.S. Representative | Rep. primary | Republican | Jeff Duncan | Republican | 20,923 | 25.35% | 1st | N/A | Runoff | N/A | [18] | ||||
| Rep. primary runoff | Republican | Jeff Duncan | Republican | 35,129 | 48.50% | 2nd | N/A | Lost | N/A | [19][20] | ||||||
| 2014 | Senator | Rep. primary | Republican | Lindsey Graham[a] | Republican | 26,325 | 8.30% | 3rd | N/A | Lost | N/A | [21][22] | ||||
| 2017 | S.C. Senator | Rep. primary | Republican | Carol Burdette | Republican | 2,032 | 25.82% | 2nd | N/A | Runoff | N/A | [2] | ||||
| Rep. primary runoff | Republican | Carol Burdette | Republican | 4,869 | 54.40% | 1st | N/A | Won | N/A | [23] | ||||||
| Special | Republican | Write-in | N/A | 3,035 | 81.70% | 1st | N/A | Won | Hold | [24][25] | ||||||
| 2020 | Rep. primary | Republican | Craig Wooten | Republican | 9,411 | 56.76% | 1st | N/A | Now | N/A | [26] | |||||
| General | Republican | Judith Polson | Democratic | 44,446 | 74.03% | 1st | N/A | Now | Hold | [27][28] | ||||||
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| South Carolina Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 3rd district 2017–present |
Incumbent |
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