The sudden death of a prominent lobbyist and health care attorney sent shock waves through the South Carolina State House over the weekend – prompting an outpouring of grief and sympathy for one of the Palmetto State’s most well-known families.
Mary Elizabeth Mullikin, 38, originally of Camden, S.C., passed away early Sunday morning (March 30, 2025) from a reported cardiac event associated with an undisclosed bacterial disease.
Mullikin was the top lobbyist and general counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina – the largest health insurance provider in the Palmetto State. She was also the daughter of Tom Mullikin, a veteran military leader who only two months ago was sworn in as the new director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
According to Mullikin, his daughter died “unexpectedly” after dealing with a “bacterial disease the last couple of days.”
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“My life will be forever changed,” Mullikin wrote in an email distributed to numerous friends and family members on Sunday. “She was my heart. Watching her die is unexplainable. Giving your child her last rights is something I pray you will never experience.”
“For 38 years I had the greatest blessing imaginable,” Mullikin added. “I am devastated but know the Lord will carry me along.”
Just last Thursday (March 27, 2025) Mullikin was at the S.C. State House working on behalf of her client.
Prior to her work with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mullikin was an associate at the Camden, S.C.-based Mullikin Law Firm. She also spent three years working in the advance office of the White House under former president George W. Bush.
A graduate of the Charleston School of Law, Mulliken received her undergraduate degree in business from the Moore School at the University of South Carolina.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience updated in the event there is any additional information to be shared regarding Mullikin’s passing. In the meantime, we would extend our prayers and sympathies to her family members, friend and colleagues as they mourn her sudden and unexpected loss.
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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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11 comments
I bet a lot of Legislators are very upset. How many needed that next payoff check to make their boat or vacation cabin payment.
A lot of people are upset at the loss of a wonderful woman, who loved people more than she loved herself.
What is a lobbyists job? To push for bills and agendas which do not represent the best interests of citizens and taxpayers but instead push for corporate favoritism and political favors.
You obviously didn’t know her. I’d suggest to think before you speak or write. She was a wonderful human who helped so many people all her life. She was loved more than you will ever know and understand. She was polite, educated, kind. She was a friend, a sister, a fiancé, a daughter. Have a heart and think before you speak ill of people.
May have been a great person but literally her job as a lobbyist for the largest healthcare insurer in SC was to gain corporate advantage for her company from the legislature, like it or not.
These comments that address politics ignore that this woman was a real human being whose life meant a great deal to a lot of people. Choose your spots.
Truth hurts, sometimes.
May Mary Elizabeth Mullikin Rest in Peace and may her loved one find strength through their grieving process.
How dare some of you use this space to completely disregard the fact that a 38-year-old woman has died suddenly, leaving behind grieving parents, family, and friends? She was young—barely beginning the prime of her life—and yet some of you have chosen to use this moment to spew negativity rather than show an ounce of basic human decency.
Would you say these things if you weren’t hiding behind a screen? If you had to look her loved ones in the eye? This isn’t just a political headline; it’s a devastating loss. Yes, she was involved in politics, and so is her father—but since when does that make it acceptable to diminish her life or vilify her in death?
Frankly, the cruel comments say far more about those posting them than they ever could about Mary Elizabeth. At least she was out there doing something, trying to make an impact. If you have such a deep issue with lobbying, then take action—go to the Capitol, fight for change, do something productive. But don’t use her death as an excuse to air your grievances.
She was a person. A daughter. A friend. Someone who, like all of us, had struggles but kept going. You don’t have to have known her to show a shred of respect. Keep your bitterness about her profession to yourself—because at the end of the day, she was human, and she deserved better than this.
To her family and friends, I am so deeply sorry for your loss. You are in my prayers. I am also sorry that in times of grief, some people can forget their humanity and be so cruel. And thank you so much to Fitsnews for publishing this story in honor of Mary Elizabeth, ensuring that her life is remembered with the respect she deserves.
Amen Shawn
She was doing something allright. Helping the filthy rich to get richer at the expense of the middle class and the poor. Not something I would call laudable.