Phillips announces re-election bid
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

OLIN PHILLIPS

At 73 years old, state Rep. Olin Phillips (D - Gaffney) could probably take it easy and leave Columbia behind.

"I know I could go home," he said, "but there's still a lot to be done in Cherokee County."

Phillips announced he will seek another term in office, hoping to serve Cherokee County for a 16th consecutive term since he was first elected.

Chief among his priorities in Columbia is ensuring Cherokee County's infrastructure needs are being met. Phillips said that means making sure the county has enough water and sewer access to grow and that its roadways and bridges are being updated and maintained.

"I feel there's a place for me here yet," he said from Columbia on Tuesday. "As long as I can continue to respond to my constituents and do what I have to do, I certainly will try to stay here."

Among his duties in Columbia, Phillips serves as a member of the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee and serves as chairman of the Committee to Screen Candidates for Board of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities.

In a letter to supporters announcing his intention to seek re-election, he wrote: "As you know, I have always been a proponent of pro-business, better education and lower taxes. I am always willing to listen to other issues and ideas in order that I might make business-like decisions."

Phillips is second in line of seniority in the House of Representatives, having served as a state representative since 1979.

Phillips jokes that he could probably lay claim to being the most senior state representative in Columbia if he really wanted to push the issue.

State Rep. Herb Kirsh of Clover, York County, who was first elected the same year as Phillips, is first in line of seniority because "K" comes before "P" in the alphabet.

Phillips said he didn't realize until just a few years ago that his birth certificate listed his last name as Fowler, his mother's maiden name.

"For about 65 years, I was known as Olin Fowler as far as the Social Security Administration had me," he said with a laugh. "I joke with Mr. Kirsh about it all the time."