Parent and Boeing engineering planner Krystle Matthews decided to run to represent Charleston and Berkeley counties in House District 117 on a whim in 2018. Since then, she’s gained statewide acclaim as a champion of women’s rights and as a legislator who doesn’t back down.
The Palmetto Insider recently had the chance to sit down with Representative Matthews to talk everything from the impact of COVID-19 on her lowcountry community to what inspired her to run — and win — against a seemingly invincible incumbent just two years ago.
To start off with the obvious elephant in the room, how have things changed for you personally since the start of the COVID-19 health crisis? As a legislator, engineer, and parent, I am sure it has been quite the transition for you.
COVID-19 has completely turned my home life upside down! I am now a teacher, employee, short-order cook, entertainer, and referee to say the least. It is pretty overwhelming when I think of how we were just thrust into this new life for a length of time that I’m sure far exceeded what any of us have could’ve imagined.
Legislative session was put on pause for quite a while in order to protect the health and safety of legislators and staff. Because of this, you have spent a lot more of your time in the lowcountry recently. How have you seen this crisis impact your community?
This crisis is most certainly affecting the mental and physical health of my community. The stress that’s it’s causing concerning finances, food, access to care, and education is tremendous. Since the very beginning, I’ve been taking calls and questions from sun up to sun down about testing, symptoms and now unemployment, as well as about access to federal money. I’m glad that I’ve been able to help answer questions as well as provide access to relief and information to ease some of these concerns.
Governor McMaster has been criticized from both sides of the aisle due to his response to the coronavirus in South Carolina. He received blowback for his delay in enacting a stay-at-home order and now receives the same for being too hasty in announcing the re-opening of local businesses. Your fellow legislators, as well, have called for things like vote-by-mail and resources for rural counties – calls that have largely fallen on deaf ears. How would you rate the governor’s performance during this crisis?
I think the governor’s role is to lead the state. That being said, I wish that he would’ve come out a lot stronger on his initial stance to shutdown the state. Speed was an important factor on the front end, but on the back end, I think the focus must be on the details — details about the how and what makes sense when it comes to the way we reopen.
I do like the amount of communication we get from the governor’s office during this time. I’ve talked to quite a few business owners and a lot of them were awaiting detailed instructions on reopening, only to find that it was more broad and they would need to create their own. Nonetheless, we cannot stay closed forever and we must all be cautious. There’s a new normal in town.
You recently partnered with iServeWithJoy, an outreach organization developed by Orangeburg-native Joy Campbell, to help those in Hampton who were impacted by April’s devastating tornadoes. Tell me a little bit more about this service and what else you’ve been doing to help out District 117.
I did a matching $300 donation with the organization iServeWithJoy. Together, we were able to provide food, toiletries, and other essentials to the victims displaced by the tornado that ripped through Hampton County. My children and I have also prepared hot meals to serve our homeless community during the pandemic.
I had also sewn several fabric masks donated by Joann Fabrics to help the shortage for medical workers and other essential employees when this all began. Yes, sewing is a hobby of mine, a little old mixed with a little new, always a good thing!
You are currently running for re-election to House District 117 in Berkeley and Charleston counties, a seat you won just two years ago. What do you consider to be some of your proudest moments as a representative of the lowcountry since your election?
I wrote my first book, Just When You Thought You’d Quit, which was a response to some of the many questions I was being asked, mostly by women, during my first year in office. I also really, really, really love talking with the students from Job Corps, which is something I’ve been honored to be asked to do two years in a row. Anytime I can pour into future leaders, I’m at my best.
I’m pretty sure the moment that I decided to “live my truth” when I took to the well to share my experience with Planned Parenthood as a young mother was the moment heard around the world. I received so much support, even from as far away as Canada. Wow. Filing the pink tax legislation has definitely been the icing on the cake. Fighting for legislation that concerns women is a cause we must all take on.
How has campaigning changed in the age of social distancing? Has it been hard to maintain a sense of connection with your constituents when everyone is six feet away?
Campaigning has become a distance sport, for lack of a better word. Resorting to the world of social media and mailers has become the new norm. I talk with my constituents mostly via phone as they are not shy about calling and asking questions. This is why I ran: I love being able to help!
Your current seat was previously held by long-time Republican incumbent Bill Crosby who is once again running for District 117 but faces a primary battle of his own. What drove you to run for what many considered to be a long-shot seat in the first place?
I never thought of it as a long-shot because I didn’t even know who held the seat before me. I ran to inspire others in the working class, women, mothers, and families to get involved in the decisions that affect the way we live. It’s not good enough to leave how we live in the hands of a only a few “types” of people. We all need representation.
I read an article titled “Midterm Elections and Why They’re Important” and it changed my life! I had no idea how important these elections were and thought to myself: wow, if I don’t know — and I consider myself to be pretty smart — how many people connected to me don’t know? We work, pick up kids, go to sports, and it’s not that we are ignoring it. Sometimes when you don’t know, you just don’t know.
I went to sleep and woke up the next morning inspired to run for those like me. Having never before been in politics or had a lot of exposure to it, I had no idea what my chances of winning were, nor did I care, because that wasn’t why I ran.
Many South Carolina Democrats saw your win over Crosby — as well as Representative JA Moore’s defeat of Republican Samuel Rivers Jr. in House District 15 — as a sign of what’s to come for the state. Do you agree? Do you see South Carolina becoming purple in the near future?
I most certainly think the state is changing, and so is the way we think and move. Every generation has things they fight for and care about, and quality of life for all is most certainly on the menu these days. South Carolina is also becoming an economic powerhouse, and that’s a great thing as long as we don’t go so far in one direction that we lose the beauty that also attracts visitors to the state. “You are only as strong as your weakest link” is an old adage that remains true, which is why it’s important that we focus on sustainable ways of life for everyone: clean water and air are not luxuries.
What advice or encouragement would you give someone who is considering running for office themselves?
Run for your own reasons, not against another person. Do your best to represent people on a whole. You are not elected to solely inflict your personal interests and beliefs on those that you represent. Your thought needs to be about what will best benefit those in your district. Last but not least, be a great collaborator. Nobody gets things done in politics alone. Have a backbone, and for Pete’s sake: read, read, read! Read [the legislation] for yourself.