Future of Fort Mill House Seat Hangs in Balance, as Veteran Representative Raye Felder Declines to Seek Re-election
Fort Mill, SC – After an uninterrupted decade of service, District 26 incumbent Rep. Raye Felder, a Republican from Fort Mill, has announced that she will not run for another term in the House of Representatives. The end of her term in November 2024 will draw the curtains on her sixth term, marking a significant shift in dynamics for voters in the Fort Mill region.
An Eventful Career in Public Service
Felder, a former insurance agent, has been a prominent figure in the local community and has not yet unveiled her plans post-retirement. “I intend to retire for real this time,” she shares, adding that she looks forward to spending quality time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “It will have been 12 years by the time I finish. It’s just at the point in time I need to move on.”
Her early announcement provides adequate time for potential candidates to consider a run for the soon-to-be vacant seat. The filings for all General Assembly seats are expected to kick-off in March.
Significant Challenges for Future Representatives
The realities of exponential growth, particularly due to the spillover from Charlotte, underscores the challenge facing Felder’s eventual replacement. Tremendous progress over the past ten years has strained resources and infrastructure. As Felder notes, “You have to sit in line for traffic in places where you didn’t have to do that 10 years ago. We have grown so quickly, trying to keep up with staffing that the town needs is difficult.”
Legislative changes, such as allowing impact fees to be levied for schools, have helped Fort Mill manage this rapid growth. The Fort Mill School District’s student population has tripled in the last 20 years, triggering the need for new schools, and impact fees are to fund their construction.
End of a House Career: A Tribute to Service
Felder’s departure from the South Carolina House of Representatives also signifies the end of an era marked by significant legislative contributions. She notes her satisfaction with various changes enacted in the Columbia legislature, such as increasing teacher pay, fostering improved foster care systems, and enhancing Medicaid reimbursement rates, as critical parts of her legacy.
In a heartfelt statement to her constituents announcing her retirement, she thanked them for their trust and support. “Being your representative has been an honor and a privilege,” Felder stated, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to serve.
As she looks forward to the coming year, Felder’s focus remains centered on the ongoing General Assembly effort to overhaul South Carolina’s judicial selection process.
