11.05.04

Dr. Robyn Agnew, left, and Paul Agnew

Erskine graduate elected to S.C. House

Erskine College alumnus Paul Agnew was elected to his first term in the S.C. House in Tuesday's general election.

The Abbeville attorney, who is married to Erskine Dean of Students Dr. Robyn Agnew, was taking his first stab at public office, but his early life was a precursor for his political run.

"I grew up in a family that emphasized giving back to the community through involvement in public service," the representative-elect said.

A 1983 graduate of Erskine, Agnew said his liberal arts education helped prepare him to run for public office. He graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1986.

"Certainly in politics, like life, you deal with a lot of diverse people covering a myriad of issues," he said. "My liberal arts background helped prepare me to deal with different people and issues that are important to them."

Agnew also gained his first experience in campaigns and elections while he was at Erskine, where he served as student body vice president.

He said Tuesday's victory was the culmination of a "very long, hard-fought campaign."

Former Rep. Harry Stille, Erskine professor emeritus of physical education and health, decided not to seek re-election to the District 11 seat and opened the door for a number of contenders, including Agnew, who won a highly contested Democratic primary in June before winning the general election over Republican Sammy Lewis and Libertarian R.T. Moore.

Agnew said he is looking forward to the challenges of representing Abbeville County and southern Anderson County in the S.C. House.

"I plan to work hard to improve education, create jobs and be an advocate for the rural areas of Abbeville County and southern Anderson County," he said. "The main thing is public service — getting involved in the legislative process to accomplish those things."

Election Day was an exciting time, Agnew said.

"We worked very hard during the day," he said. "There was a bustle of activity around my office. Many people contributed to that day, making phone calls, providing transportation and other get out the vote efforts."

The polls closed at 7 p.m., so Agnew and his supporters headed to the Abbeville County Courthouse to await the results.

"I had the feeling we had done everything possible to thoroughly prepare and get our message out in an effective manner," he said. "We were confident that we would have a successful outcome."

Agnew said his wife was the "greatest asset" of his campaign and was a "source of inspiration" to him.

"Robyn was my campaign manager, took care a lot of details and kept me focused," he said. "A lot of times, she just listened."

Agnew said he is very grateful for the support he received throughout the campaign and he's eager to get started.

Robyn Agnew, also an Erskine graduate, said she wasn't surprised that Paul decided to run for office because of his family background.

And, she said, one thing that impresses her about her husband's run for office is that "he's got really pure motives – he truly believes in the importance of public service and sees a lot of potential in this area."

She said campaigning was a "valuable learning experience."

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