Three female Republicans who tried to protect abortion rights in South Carolina lose primaries to men

Three female GOP state senators who tried to protect abortion rights in South Carolina lost primary elections this month to men who ran on anti-abortion platforms.

Katrina Shealy, Sandy Senn and Penry Gustafson were among a bipartisan group of five women state senators, dubbed the “sister senators,” who filibustered a near-total abortion ban in 2023.

During the filibuster, each of the five women took turns describing the complexities of pregnancy and the reproductive system, the dangers of lack of access to contraception, and inadequate privacy laws, with all lawmakers speaking for as long as four hours each at a time. All five donned buttons that read “elect more women.”

Their filibuster halted passage of the ban, which would have prohibited abortion at conception with few exceptions for rape, incest, and life-threatening health complications for the fetus or mother.

Following their fillibuster, the five women were heckled and harassed by anti-abortion activists. The three Republicans were also met with strong opposition from their own party — including censures and promises of primary challenges in 2024.

As a result of their coordinated effort, the group was chosen last year to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

However, the women were not rewarded in this month’s primaries, with Shealy losing to Carlisle Kennedy on Tuesday after picking up only 37.5 per cent of the vote.

Kennedy’s campaign website said that he’s “proudly pro-life,” and he said he “will work to protect the unborn and advocate for policies that support mothers and families.”

Senn and Gustafson lost in primaries earlier this month. Gustafson, who represents three counties in the northern part of the state, lost by a wide margin to