District 41 includes parts of Chester, Fairfield, and Richland counties in South Carolina.
Tibi Czentye (R)
Economic Growth and Economic Opportunity: Addressing local economic challenges—such as low-income levels and job opportunities—is a primary concern. My focus centers on expanding job training, supporting small and minority-owned businesses, and bringing sustainable economic development to SC House District 41.
We will add a response once it is received.
Annie E McDaniel (D)
- What is the top issue in your district and how do you plan to address it?
o Support or introduce Legislation establishing state grants, low-interest loan programs, or tax incentives tailored for small businesses and certified minority-owned enterprises helps boost local entrepreneurship.
o Support economic development legislation that provides state matching funds to prepare industrial sites, mega-sites, and business parks helps attract major employers and manufacturing facilities to the region.]
What policies will you advocate for to bring down costs?
o Sales Tax Exemptions on Essential Goods: Introducing legislation to permanently eliminate or suspend state sales tax on basic necessities, including grocery items, personal hygiene products, and over-the-counter medical supplies, directly reducing checkout bills for working families.
o Support for Local Food Networks & Agribusiness: Sponsoring bills to fund local farm-to-table supply chains and community agricultural hubs in rural areas like Fairfield County, which cuts transportation overhead and helps keep local produce and food prices stable.
o Supporting temporary suspensions or state tax on fuel during periods of rapid price spikes to provide immediate relief for commuters and rural drivers.
o Pushing for tighter oversight on power and gas utility rate increases to ensure families are not hit with compounding monthly utility expenses alongside high fuel and food costs.
- What should South Carolina do about data centers?
Representative Annie E. McDaniel has placed water conservation, environmental protection, and public safety at the very center of her position regarding tech data centers in Fairfield County.
1. Protecting Local Water Resources & Well Water
Data centers require tens of thousands to millions of gallons of water per day for server cooling systems. Rep. McDaniel has raised significant concerns regarding how this immense demand impacts local water systems:
- Safeguarding Rural Groundwater and Well Water: Many residents in rural areas of Fairfield County rely heavily on private well water. McDaniel emphasizes protecting underground aquifers from depletion or contamination caused by industrial water extraction or runoff.
- Evaluating Wastewater & Treatment Facilities: Fairfield County faces critical infrastructure constraints, such as an estimated $85 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade required to handle heavy industrial capacity. McDaniel has worked alongside county leaders and the Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) to secure funding and review capacity before permitting high-use facilities.
2. Public Safety, Noise, and Air Emissions
Beyond water usage, Rep. McDaniel advocates for strict public health and safety protocols:
- Backup Generator Emissions & Air Quality: Data centers rely on massive banks of diesel backup generators for emergency power. McDaniel and community advocates highlight the risk of air pollution and toxic particulate emissions, particularly in rural, minority, and low-income communities.
- Noise Pollution Safeguards: Industrial cooling fans and generator testing produce continuous low-frequency noise. She supports zoning standards and buffer-zone requirements to prevent industrial noise from affecting residential areas.
- Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness: She stresses ensuring local rural fire departments and emergency personnel are trained and properly equipped to respond to specialized electrical or lithium-battery fire hazards associated with large industrial tech facilities.
3. Moratoriums & Environmental Due Diligence
To ensure these safety and environmental standards are enforced, Rep. McDaniel has hosted town halls and informational sessions with state experts and county council members. She supports local 12-month temporary moratoriums on data center developments to give the county time to perform technical impact studies, establish clear environmental guidelines, and protect residents before any contracts are approved.
- Should South Carolina expand Medicaid?
Yes, Representative Annie E. McDaniel strongly supports expanding Medicaid in South Carolina. Expanding Medicaid has been a central healthcare priority throughout her time in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Her position is rooted in several core arguments:
Closing the Healthcare Coverage Gap
Rep. McDaniel emphasizes that failing to expand Medicaid leaves tens of thousands of working South Carolinians—particularly lower-income families, agricultural workers, and hourly employees in rural districts like Fairfield County—without affordable health insurance options.
Supporting Rural Hospitals and Healthcare Access
Rural healthcare facilities across South Carolina face heavy financial strain from providing uncompensated emergency care to uninsured patients. McDaniel argues that expanding Medicaid would bring essential federal funding into the state’s healthcare network, helping keep rural hospitals open, expanding local clinics, and improving doctor retention in underserved regions.
Bringing Federal Tax Dollars Back to South Carolina
McDaniel frequently points out that South Carolinians pay federal taxes that fund Medicaid expansion in dozens of other states. She argues that refusing the expansion leaves billions of dollars in federal funding on the table that could otherwise be reinvested into South Carolina’s healthcare infrastructure, local jobs, and rural economies.
Legislative Advocacy
In the General Assembly, Rep. McDaniel has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation, resolutions, and budget amendments advocating South Carolina to participate in full Medicaid expansion or establish legislative study committees to evaluate its economic benefits.
What separates you from your opponent?
Rep. Annie E. McDaniel (D): Representative Annie E. McDaniel brings decades of direct public service to her role, having served 18 years on the Fairfield County School Board before being elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2018. Her governing approach relies on her extensive legislative experience, active engagement with state agencies, and senior caucus leadership as Chair of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. Rather than adhering strictly to rigid conservative doctrine, her platform emphasizes collaborative public and private sector solutions—offering a direct alternative to the growing economic and social anxieties stemming from nearly a quarter-century of single-party state governance.
Representative McDaniel has a proven record of bringing leaders together to resolve complex community challenges, securing vital state earmarks for District 41, and prioritizing direct constituent service. She stays deeply connected to local needs by regularly holding town halls, advocating for senior citizens, children, veterans and her constituents’ concerns; she established the Mary Lucille Kennedy McDaniel First Generation Scholarship with her personal funds to support area youth. To ensure she delivers informed leadership, Rep. McDaniel continually expands her expertise by participating in professional trainings and conferences, while actively engaging with national legislative organizations that connect her to key policy insights. Most recently, she applied this proactive approach to emerging developments like AI data centers—taking the time to thoroughly educate herself on technical and environmental factors so she can champion strong regulatory safeguards that protect local resources and ease her constituents’ fears.