Kambrell Garvin facts for kids

Kambrell Houston Garvin is an American lawyer and politician from South Carolina. He is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 77 in Richland County, Columbia, South Carolina. He was first elected in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Kambrell Garvin was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He was raised by his mother, Dr. Sonji Garvin Baxter. When Kambrell was young, he had trouble speaking clearly. To help him, his mother changed her job to become a speech pathologist. A speech pathologist helps people learn to speak better.

School and College Years

Garvin studied Political Science at Winthrop University. He also studied African American Studies and Sociology. He earned his bachelor's degree in 2013. After that, he went to Johns Hopkins University School of Education. He earned a master's degree in Education in 2016. For three years, he worked as a public school teacher in Walterboro, South Carolina.

In May 2019, Garvin earned a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He then became a lawyer at a law firm. In 2022, he started his own law firm.

Political Journey

Kambrell Garvin became interested in politics when he was only 10 years old. He helped organize his first campaign to encourage people to register to vote. As a teenager and college student, he took part in many political events. These events often focused on education and fairness for everyone. He was also a member of Teach For America, a group that works to make education fair for all students.

Serving in the South Carolina House

Garvin first ran for office in 2018. He was 26 years old. He ran against the person who already held the seat, Joe McEachern. After a close first vote, Garvin won the second vote by a large amount. He then won the main election. He started his job as a state representative in January 2019.

As a state representative, Garvin works on important committees. These include the House Education and Public Works Committee. He also serves on the Legislative Oversight Committee.

Garvin has worked on new laws to help people. He suggested a law that would stop job applications from asking about past criminal convictions. He also introduced a bill to make it illegal to treat people unfairly because of their hair. This is similar to the CROWN Act in California. He has also served as Vice Chairman of the Richland County Legislative Delegation. He is the Treasurer of the House Minority Caucus.

In December 2024, Garvin ran for House Minority Leader but was not successful.

2020 Presidential Election

Garvin supported Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. He spoke for her campaign in the South Carolina Primary. He said he liked her ideas, especially her plan to help students with their college debt.

2023 State Senate Election

In August 2023, a special election was announced for State Senate District 19. This election was held because Senator John L. Scott Jr. had passed away. The election was set for January 2, 2024.

On August 29, 2023, Garvin announced he would run for this State Senate seat. He officially signed up on September 1, 2023. In the first round of voting on October 24, Garvin came in second place.

Personal Life

Kambrell Garvin is married to Monique Patton Garvin. They live in Northeast Columbia, South Carolina.