Susanna Harrington

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
 Predecessor
 Governor
 Predecessor
 Successor

 Birth name
 Nationality
 Political party
 Children
 Residence
 Religion

**Susanna Jane Harrington** (born January 30, 1966) is an American Politician that currently serves as the Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional District, and as the Chair of the House Freedom Caucus. Harrington previously served as the First Lady of South Carolina from 2003 until her husband's resignation from office in 2005.

#### **Early Life**

Susanna Kinney was born in Awendaw South Carolina, near the Santee River Delta to a Southern Baptist minister and his wife in 1966. There, they lived a solidly lower middle class lifestyle. Susanna was mediocre in school, but that was alright. It was expected that she would simply marry a son of a local shrimper or store owner if she was lucky. However, Susanna happened to be very good looking as a young girl. She attracted the attention of many suitors, and in her senior year of high school she realized it could be put to good use.

During the spring of that hot year, Susanna auditioned for the Miss South Carolina beauty pageant. This was especially encouraged by her mother, and her father was too distracted to pay much mind to it. Though her talent was the half-bad singing skill she had learned from growing up in the church, Susanna was able to win and become Miss South Carolina.

#### **Marriage to Buford Harrington and Political Interest**

After she became Miss South Carolina, she attracted the attention of an older Charleston lawyer named Buford Harrington. Harrington's older brother and father were harbor pilots, allowing for the family to live an upper class lifestyle in the city. Buford chose to pursue the law, and was already working his way into politics by the time he married Susanna. He did this by serving on the board of the state GOP. The pair had a large traditional wedding in 1985 in Charleston, followed  by a reception in Awendaw.

Harrington opened up a private practice after the marriage to earn more money, having been a prosecutor beforehand. Susanna worked as a homemaker during this time, having never attended college, maintaining their Charleston row house and their country house in Awendaw. Harrington began to establish conservative political views in his once apathetic wife, especially as he increased his political connections in the state legislature. They hosted local fundraisers and events for said connections.

This was done so that the General Assembly elected Buford Harrington as an associate justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1998. During his time on the bench, Harrington established himself as a conservative justice. While he served as a justice, Susanna gave birth to two boys, one in 2001 and the other in 2002. 2002 is when Harrington resigned as a justice to run for governor against the incumbent Democrat, having been drafted by his friends in the SC GOP.

Susanna supported him by taking care of the children and making key campaign appearances during the Gubernatorial bid, which he won by a few percentage points.

#### **First Lady of South Carolina**

During her time as First Lady of South Carolina, Susanna started up an anti-abortion organization, becoming more and more of a conservative activist with her time in the political spotlight. Her organization advocated for restricted abortion and abstinence, sending speakers to South Carolina schools and events, and protesting the development of new abortion clinics. The organization was called Defend Life. Buford Harrington, meanwhile, served as a rather successful governor, successfully luring in foreign car companies to establish assembly plants in parts of the upstate. However, in 2004, he was diagnosed with life threatening lung cancer, having been a life long smoker. This prompted him to resign in 2005. He would die later that year.

#### **Lobbying Career and Activism**

Susanna then became a single mother. Having no other skills, she continued to work in the field of activism, remaining in charge of Defend Life. However the organization failed due to a lack of old resources she had access to as first lady, and low organizational ability on Susanna's part. Fortunately, thanks to her connections, she was hired by AARP as a lobbyist in Columbia. Susanna made a mediocre lobbyist, as she seemed intent on representing and selling herself rather than AARP's brand and the interests of the ageing. She did not stick to pitches, and she was often accused of using her lobbying career as an excuse to wine and dine with those in high places.

#### **Failed Run For Office**

In 2009, Susanna ran for an at-large seat on Charleston's city council, losing by a small margin to her Democratic opponent due mostly to a poorly organized campaign and lack of voter enthusiasm.

#### **Election to the U.S. House of Representatives and Views**

Susanna jumped on the Tea Party wave in 2010, using a grassroots campaign that overcame her shortcomings to defeat the long time incumbent of South Carolina's first district in the primary, and she went on to win the general election handedly.

In the House, Harrington established herself as a conservative voice, in favor of low taxes, gun rights, abortion restrictions, and more. She curried much favor with the Tea Party sympathizers, and anti-Winston conservatives. She was re-elected in 2012, and again in 2014. In 2014, she gained a perch on the House Select Committee on Benghazi, and increased her profile in the House by ruthlessly pursuing a case for negligence on the part of Winston's Sec of State. In 2015, she helped to found the House Freedom Caucus, and became Chairwoman in early 2016.

During the presidential election she established herself as a Reed supporter, after a long tenure of criticizing the Winston administration on the ACA especially.

On recent bills, she was in favor of the BBA, was opposed to the Carbon Tax, and was a major proponent of WAC in the House.

#### **Personal Life**

Harrington is a Southern Baptist. Both of her children spend almost all of their time with their paternal grandparents in Charleston due to her work schedule.