27 www.CharlestonWomenPodcast.com | www.ReadCW.com | www.Instagram.com/CharlestonWomen Charleston Women in Business John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Retracing her great-great-grandfather’s footsteps in resilience and tenacity, McLeod’s legacy has come full circle and lives on in the work she has done to disrupt the status quo, lead with courage and authenticity and fiercely advocate for all South Carolinians. SPENCER WETMORE, STATE HOUSE (2020-PRESENT) A graduate of Princeton University and Vanderbilt University Law School, Spencer Wetmore began her career in public service as a prosecutor for the Charleston County Solicitor’s Office where she represented the people of South Carolina in criminal cases. In 2014, Wetmore became an advocate for the City of Folly Beach, overseeing all aspects of local government with a focus on environmental issues such as flooding and marsh protection. “I wish that before running for higher office at the state or federal levels, more legislators would start in local governance,” said Wetmore. “Working with budgets and ordinances demonstrates that lawmakers are taking a real interest in relating to their communities.” A mom of young kids, Wetmore is also passionate about keeping schools and neighborhoods safe. As Wetmore started building relationships at the state level, she was encouraged to run for the House of Representatives as a voice for women and families. In August 2020, she campaigned on making the community safer and won a special election that made national headlines for flipping a seat in the gerrymandered District 115, a longtime Republican stronghold. She won again in November 2020 and has loved representing her constituents ever since her first day in office. One challenging part of the job, she acknowledged, is that while Congress members are paid $170,000 a year, legislators in the SC House of Representatives earn just $10,000 a year plus a per diem. That means Wetmore and her husband still maintain their law firm, where they practice criminal defense and probate law. She added that another issue with state-level government in South Carolina is, “Our politics are determined by just 9% of South Carolinians who vote in the Republican primaries. The majority of seats that are gerrymandered are decided by those Republican primary elections.” When asked how she overcomes frustration within the super minority of women and Democrats in the state legislature Wetmore replied, “I stay energized by focusing on my constituents and their concerns and using my microphone as their platform.” Self-described as “Built for problem-solving and empathy,” Wetmore said she is most proud of the bills she is working on that have to do with local governance, including smart growth and infrastructure to offset overdevelopment, as well as legacy issues such as human trafficking and domestic violence. She also helped pass a unanimous bipartisan bill, H.3497, that helps bars and restaurants access liquor liability insurance relief. “Over the last couple of years, this issue has reached a breaking point with so many establishments closing due to premiums skyrocketing from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said. “Bars and restaurants need relief now. We shouldn’t hold them hostage.” As of this writing, the full House had approved the bill and it was awaiting a Senate floor vote. According to Wetmore, it has until May 2026 to be decided. She concluded, “I hope the challenges we are overcoming during my tenure will live on well beyond my service.” KATHY LANDING, STATE HOUSE (2022-PRESENT) Elected to the Mount Pleasant Town Council in 2017, Kathy Landing also served as the chair of the town Economic Development Committee as well as the Fire, Transportation, Flood Resilience, Public Services, Bids & Purchases, Human Resource and Finance committees of council. As part of her commitment to economic development and supporting local job-creating businesses, Landing held a position for several years on the board of directors of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2022, Landing ran as a Republican for the new SC State House District 80 and won.
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