Ivory Torrey Thigpen
American politician (born 1978)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ivory Torrey Thigpen Jr. is an American former politician. He is a member of the Democratic party.[1]
May 11, 1978
Ivory Thigpen | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 79th district | |
| In office November 14, 2016 – December 4, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mia McLeod |
| Succeeded by | Hamilton R. Grant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ivory Torrey Thigpen May 11, 1978 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Jackson State University (BS) Palmer College of Chiropractic (DC) Morehouse School of Religion (MDiv) |
Early life and career
Thigpen was born and educated in Mississippi, a graduate of Jackson State University. He is Pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Columbia. Thigpen and his wife are co-owners of a chiropractic office.[2]
Political career
South Carolina House of Representatives
Thigpen was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 79th District, serving from 2016 to 2024.[3] He served on the House Judiciary and Rules committee.[4]
In 2023, Thigpen chaired the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus.[5]
Thigpen attended the 2024 Democratic National Convention as a Party and Elected Leader delegate.[6]
2024 State Senate race
In January 2024, Thigpen announced his candidacy for State Senate District 22, the seat currently held by incumbent Mia McLeod.[7][8][9] Educator Dr. Monica Elkins also announced a run in the Democratic Primary.[10]
In February 2024, businessman Hamilton R. Grant announced plans to run for House District 79, the seat currently held by Thigpen.[11] Grant and community advocate Jonneika Farr faced each other in the Democratic Primary. Grant defeated Farr to become the Democratic nominee, and defeated Republican Rebecca Madsen in the General Election.[12][13][14]
On April 1, 2024, McLeod announced that she would not seek re-election. Richland County Council member Overture Walker joined Thigpen and Elkins as candidates for the Democratic Primary nomination. Lee Blatt filed to run as a Republican candidate for the seat.[15][16]
On June 11, Thigpen and Walker were the top vote getters in the Democratic Primary, and faced each other in a runoff. Lee Blatt withdrew, and Gary Votour with the South Carolina Workers Party faced the winner of the Democratic Primary in the general election.[17]
On June 25, Thigpen was defeated by Walker in the Primary runoff.[18] Walker went on to win the seat in November 2024.
Electoral history
| Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Democratic Primary[19] | Ivory Torrey Thigpen | 2,105 | 46.74% | Monica Elkins | 2,074 | 46.05% | Vannie Williams, Jr. | 325 | 7.22% | |||
| 2016 Democratic Primary Runoff[20] | Ivory Torrey Thigpen | 1,275 | 63.88% | Monica Elkins | 721 | 36.12% | ||||||
| 2016 General Election[21] | Ivory Torrey Thigpen | 13,366 | 73.03% | Donald Miles | 4,581 | 25.03% | Victor Kocher | 354 | 1.93% | |||
| 2018 Democratic Primary | Ivory Torrey Thigpen (i) | Winner | ||||||||||
| 2018 General Election[22] | Ivory Torrey Thigpen (i) | 13,307 | 87.8% | Victor Kocher | 1,782 | 11.8% | Others/Write-in | 63 | 0.4% | |||