Exclusive: Why Raye Felder won’t run again for Fort Mill’s state House seat

Republican S.C. Rep. Raye Felder won’t run again for the state House seat that represents Fort Mill, she told The Herald in an exclusive interview.

Felder said her time in the state legislature has been a rewarding way to give back to her community.

“I certainly didn’t expect to serve 12 years,” Felder said in announcing her decision. “There comes a point when the time has come to move on to new things in life.”

Felder ran an insurance business in Fort Mill for many years. She filed for a new political seat more than a decade ago, and has been the only one in it since.

The 2010 Census tallied 10,811 residents in Fort Mill, up 40% from the 2000 Census. The larger Fort Mill township saw similar growth.

Lawmakers drew new state House of Representatives districts in 2011 that included a new one, Dist. 26, for the 2012 election. It was the first seat predominantly located in Fort Mill. Districts with parts of Fort Mill had been split to include parts — often larger parts — of other communities, like Rock Hill.

“Back then, I was the only legislator from the Fort Mill township,” Felder said. “Now, our township has two resident House members, as well as a Senator, giving our area a greater voice than it has ever had in Columbia.”

Many roles in Felder’s career

Felder’s political career almost tripped up before it started.

She filed as a Republican. For the 2012 election, more than 200 candidates statewide were removed from the ballot after confusion on ethics form filing deadlines. Felder got back on the ballot as a petition candidate, a nonpartisan listing on the ballot for candidates who collect enough signatures, and won.

In 2014 Felder handily won a rematch against Libertarian Jeremy Walters. She’s won each election up through last fall, as Fort Mill continues to grow. The town had 24,521 residents in the 2020 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are almost 31,000 residents now.

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Felder’s roles in office include time as House Education K-12 subcommittee chair and chair of the bipartisan General Assembly Womens’ Caucus.

Recently, Felder helped secured $25 million for economic development in Fort Mill to relocate public works functions from a former National Guard Armory in Fort Mill. The town is working through new plans for the 131 E. Elliott St. armory now. The $25 million was the most for any of about 350 House earmark requests on the most recent state budget.

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“This community has always invested wisely in education, recreation and cultural opportunities, and I strived to make that my focus,” Felder said.

Fort Mill growth boosts voice in Columbia

Four state Senate and eight state House seats include at least some part of York County. Republican Sen. Michael Johnson (Dist. 16) is a Fort Mill resident. Former Tega Cay mayor and now Republican S.C. Rep. David O’Neal (Dist. 66) is another township resident, as is Felder.

Population change continues to give the Fort Mill township a louder voice in Columbia.

Maps based on the 2010 Census put about half of Fort Mill and Tega Cay in a Senate Dist. 16 that went south past Lancaster. The rest of Fort Mill and Tega Cay went into Dist. 15 with Rock Hill and much of Lake Wylie. A new map for the 2024 election puts only Fort Mill, Tega Cay and the upper Indian Land panhandle in Dist. 16.

For 2010, the new House Dist. 26 covered most of Fort Mill. Tega Cay and Lake Wylie shared Dist. 48. Dist. 45 included a small part of southern Fort Mill.

The post-2020 map adds O’Neal’s Dist. 66 in Tega Cay and unincorporated Fort Mill west of U.S. 21. The rest of Fort Mill stays in Dist. 26, while Dist. 44 is confined to the Indian Land panhandle in Lancaster County.

Even with considerable change, Felder said one constant will be in place as she finishes her current term through the end of next year.

“I intend to work just as hard in the next year for you as I have for the last 11 years,” Felder said. “I will continue to be, as I have always been, just a phone call or email away.”