Eric Childs, Democratic candidate for an Upstate state House seat, speaks against a bill banning certain kinds of medical care for transgender youth on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. Childs died in a vehicle crash on Friday, May 31, 2024. (Screenshot of SCETV legislative livestream)
A mother of four is continuing her run for an Upstate Senate seat after her husband, a candidate for the South Carolina House, died in a crash Friday.
John Eric Childs, 39, of Pelzer, was the sole Democrat running for the Anderson County seat held by freshman GOP Rep. April Cromer. By law, the state Democratic Party could reopen filing so there is a Democrat on the ballot in November, though it was unclear Monday whether that would happen.
Childs’ wife, Jessicka Spearman, announced on social media that she’s devastated but more determined than ever to continue her bid to unseat Sen. Richard Cash, R-Powdersville, in November. Neither Spearman, the only Democrat in that race, nor Cash has a primary contest next week.
“He believed fervently in a South Carolina where everyone could be free, prosperous, and happy, which is why he was running,” Spearman posted on Saturday. “His commitment to our family and the families of South Carolina has reignited my determination to run for and win a seat in the South Carolina state Senate, carrying forward Eric’s legacy of service and compassion.”
The crash occurred at Augusta and Lickville roads in Pelzer about 2:50 a.m. according to information from the Greenville County coroner’s office.
Childs was an Army combat veteran who was deployed to Iraq. Childs and Spearman have four children, including a transgender son. In an opinion piece published in The State on May 16 — two weeks before he died — Childs asked Gov. Henry McMaster to veto legislation banning doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or gender-transitioning hormone therapy to transgender youth under the age of 18.
“While in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I never lost sight of why I was there — to defend the freedoms we hold dear,” he wrote in the opinion piece. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my next fight would be against my own government as it takes steps to deprive me of my parental rights and my child’s ability to live the American Dream.”
McMaster signed the bill into law, as he said he would, on May 21.
As it was moving through the House, Childs spoke against the proposal at a public hearing in January. And on a recent podcast, Childs said his opposition to that new law is what prompted him to seek office.
“I was happy working in retail, blue collar work, doing security and raising my kids with my wife, and it was the legislators of this state that brought me out of my comfort zone,” he said on that podcast in late May. “And I’m going to come out swinging because I’m not looking to lose.”
Childs was running to face the winner of a primary between Cromer, a member of the hardline Freedom Caucus, and her Republican challenger Kyle White in the staunchly GOP district. Both Cromer and White expressed their sympathy for his family on social media after the news broke over the weekend.
Spearman is challenging Cash, one of the Legislature’s most fervent abortion foes, who first won his seat in a 2017 special election.
According to state law, when a candidate dies or withdraws in a race with one or two candidates, the state party can choose to re-open the race even after the filing deadline has passed. A spokesperson for the state Democratic Party could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
A GoFundMe page has been established for the family. No information was available regarding a service.
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