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Earlier this week, I reported on the status of the second-ranking elected staff member of the GOP-controlled South Carolina House of Representatives, an ostensibly “Republican” apparatchik who goes by the name of James L. Mann “Bubba” Cromer Jr.
Cromer is set to be reelected to his taxpayer-funded position as reading clerk of the lower legislative chamber this week – a post he has held for the past 26 years. Typically, the election of such legislative functionaries is a non-event – conducted by affirmation (i.e. by an uncontested voice vote).
What makes this time different?
Cromer – who works for a so-called “conservative” majority – went off the deep end on his social media over the past few months, littering his Facebook feed with all manner of broadsides against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, vice president-elect JD Vance, while touting his allegiance to the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz ticket.
Obviously, that doesn’t distinguish Cromer from thousands of other Americans… expect they don’t work for Republican legislatures. Or so-called “Republican” legislatures, anyway.
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When Trump won, Cromer went full lib-tard – saying the outcome of the election made him physically sick to the point he could no longer get out of bed in the morning. In the days leading up to the election, Cromer also endorsed a Democratic incumbent over a Republican challenger – going against his employers in a contested race in which S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith invested heavily.
That’s a direct challenge to Smith’s leadership… one the third-year speaker seems to be swallowing.
Curious, right? Indeed. Especially considering Smith’s ultimatum to conservative lawmakers that they pledge absolute fealty to the left-leaning GOP majority (including a prohibition against endorsements which run counter to the majority’s wishes).
Smith – who endorsed Trump but runs a decidedly left-of-center chamber – has shown no sign of opposing Cromer’s reelection bid. However, pressure from conservative media – including Corey Allen of The Overton Report – appears to have succeeded in forcing members to at least consider Cromer’s status via a voice vote.
Allen’s beef with Cromer? According to a post on his Facebook page, he accused the reading clerk of hosting “creepy parties” at which he allegedly “films (lawmakers) doing wild stuff with drag queens, trannies, and probably worse.”
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“(Lawmakers) know better than to cross him or his cameras,” Allen added, accusing Cromer of “utter disdain for everything conservative and decent.”
Cromer has previously attracted attention for hosting Christmas parties with drag queen performers, but Allen is the first to suggest a malicious motivation for the debauchery.
“I am no conspiracy theorist,” Allen concluded. “This is just a bad dude, doing P. Diddy level stuff in YOUR back yard. Simple as that.”
This media outlet takes no position on Allen’s allegations – nor do we particularly care about Cromer’s continued employment as reading clerk. As I noted last week, these ministerial positions do not impact public policy – and have no bearing on the ideological direction of the chamber. Therefore, FITSNews has declined to designate votes for these positions as ‘litmus tests’ for lawmakers.
Furthermore, as previously noted, Cromer is “well within his right to endorse anyone he chooses – for president, state lawmaker or dogcatcher” and to “express whatever views he chooses on his social media.”
Still, he is ultimately accountable to the members who elect him – and his wild, public embrace of an especially virulent strain of #NeverTrumpism is something conservative lawmakers have every right to consider as they decide whether or not to reelect him.
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UPDATE |
A voice vote on Cromer was forced by conservative members of the House on Tuesday (December 3, 2024). He was overwhelmingly reelected to his post by an 88–12 margin – with 24 members not voting. As soon as we get a record of individual votes from that tally, we will publish it…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
Wouldn’t expect any less from the RINO ruling class at Main and Gervais
Allen needs to step down from his role.