Augusta Chronicle: Lawmaker is eager to start work
Shane Massey held the cellular phone high in his right hand.
At that moment, he said, the device was no longer merely his personal line. It was now a direct pipeline to his constituents.
“It is now the District 25 constituent hot line,” Mr. Massey, the newly elected 32-year-old state senator from Edgefield, told a gathering of about 200 people Thursday afternoon at his swearing-in ceremony in the auditorium of his alma mater, Strom Thurmond High School. “I’m here to help you. If you have a problem with the state or anything else that you think I can help with, call me.”
Mr. Massey gave the number out several times before the evening ended. Thursday’s ceremony stood as an official celebration after a draining three months spent on the campaign trail.
Mr. Massey outlasted six other Republican candidates in September’s party primary. He then went head-to-head with Republican candidate Bill Hixon in an October runoff after no clear majority was captured in the primary race. Mr. Massey won that election also, setting up a showdown for former Sen. Tommy Moore’s unexpired term with well-known Democrat Bill Clyburn.
Mr. Massey won after a mandatory recount after provisional votes narrowed his margin of victory over Mr. Clyburn to less than 1 percent.
“Now we set our sights on going to Columbia … to start shaking things up,” Mr. Massey told the crowd. “Listen, I know that I’m young — the naysayers reminded me almost daily — but I’m not naive. I know I can’t go to Columbia and single-handedly change the world. But I can do the hard work to build coalitions, spread the message and get the ball rolling.”
During his speech, Mr. Massey talked about many of his campaign promises — helping end political “grandstanding” in favor of direct work on specific problems such as wasteful spending, illegal immigration and the need to improve education.
“My to-do list is long, but my passion is high,” he said. “I’m ready to work hard for you.”
Augusta Chronicle: Lawmaker is eager to start work
By Mike Rosier | Morris News Service
Friday, November 30, 2007