FMU student has state house seat in his sights

Walking across the campus of Francis Marion University, you might not realize Austin Smith is “a little nuts,” but the political science major will admit that, in fact, he is, if you press him.

What calls the sanity of this 20-year-old entering his final year of university into question? Before Smith steps on stage at commencement ceremonies in December, he hopes to step up to the voting booth and see his name on the ballot as the Democratic nominee for S.C. House 63.

That’s right. He’s running for state representative.

“Basically, I want to serve my community,” said Smith, who plans to challenge three-term Republican incumbent Dr. Kris Crawford this fall. “This provides me the best opportunity to do that.”

Smith will do well to earn the Democratic nomination. Actually beating an incumbent in a heavily Republican district looks like a tall order. But this is no lark. Smith’s got what looks like the beginnings of a platform: advocating tax incentives he to stimulate economic growth statewide, pushing for school consolidation and funding reforms of the public education system, an increase in the state’s cigarette tax to support the funding of healthcare programs and more. He’s managed to round up some veteran campaign advisors, too.

Even if he is more than what the typical 20-year-old candidate would be, even if could back up his campaign promises with an actual legislative strategy, Smith knows its possible voters won’t see beyond his age (he’ll be 21 in September) and decide he’s just a kid playing an expensive game of political “house.” He is, admittedly, and understandably, a little short on the experience end. Other than taking a semester off in 2008 to work on state Sen. Vincent Sheheen’s gubernatorial campaign, Smith has virtually no experience.

Despite the odds stacked against him, the youthful candidate says he’s not deterred.

“I know it’s an uphill battle,” he said. “I know that I’m an underdog. But I look forward to a substantive campaign focused on the issues, and I think the voters will look past age and will vote for the candidate they believe will best represent them.”

Convincing voters someone who still fights the occasional bout with acne is the best choice to represent them at the statehouse is difficult, but it has been done before.

There are currently two representatives barley able to enjoy an adult beverage holding office in Columbia.

Rep. Joshua Putnam, R-Anderson and Rep. Kevin Ryan, R-Georgetown, started on the same path Smith now finds himself and emerged victorious.

Putnam most recently joined the statehouse ranks at the age of 22, winning a special election for S.C. House District 10 last August, earning him the right to finish the term of Rep. Dan Cooper, who resigned from the post in April. Ryan was 23 when he was elected to District 108 in 2010 and won a close race against seven-time incumbent Democrat Rep. Vida Miller.

If Smith makes it past the Democratic primary in June (whether he’ll have any competition for that contest won’t be known until filing ends March 30) he would face a challenge similar to that of Ryan: an incumbent representative.

It is common political knowledge that incumbents are nearly impossible to beat and Crawford serves as case in point. The good doctor hasn’t just defeated his opponents since taking office in 2006, he’s annihilated them.  Crawford garnered an average 66 percent of the vote in each of his three contests, most recently blasting Democrat Shelia Gallagher, a mature, and somewhat well-known public figure, in 2010.

Gallagher was elected chairwoman of the Florence County Democratic Party in December and plans to meet with Smith this week to discuss his candidacy. In many ways, Gallagher said, the difficulties of campaigning are the same for any candidate, regardless their age.

“Running for office itself is a unique challenge because you’ve got to decide to put your life on hold somewhat to go out and meet people, go out and try to see what the issues for the people in that district are, and of course you’ve got to look at the statewide issues,” she said.

If he makes the general election ballot in November, Gallagher said Smith’s message would ultimately determine whether he gets the support from county or state Democrats and whether volunteers gravitate toward the campaign.

Young people like Smith are often enthusiastic forces behind political campaigns, but you rarely see them making the leap from supporter to candidate so early and for good reason.

“I think most people aren’t thinking that way,” Dr. David White, chairman of Francis Marion’s political science department and one of Smith’s professors, said.

White said that while some students like Smith look at politics from the perspective of becoming involved through holding office, there are other ways for young people can jump into the political system without putting their name on the ballot.

“Young people have always been slower to get involved… but I think students are finding new ways to get involved in politics: YouTube videos, petitions online,” said White. “This is stuff that wasn’t around 10 years ago. So, they may not vote, but they may participate in another way.”

If you do jump into the political game early, it can lead to bigger and better things down the road.

Republican Gov. David Beasley was elected to the state house as a Democrat in 1978 during his junior year at Clemson at age 21, beginning a long, distinguished career in South Carolina politics.

Then again, the $10,400 annual salary of a state representative can hardly serve as a person’s primary source of income and working six months a year in Columbia can delay any other career goals a young person may have.

Rep. Ryan found that out and announced in September he would not seek reelection in 2012 so he could start a career outside of state politics.

Smith says he isn’t in it for the money or glory.

“I’m not interested in being a career politician,” Smith said. “I just want to serve the people of the Sixty-Third District.”