Linda Ketner
Encyclopedia
Linda G. Ketner is a business consultant, philanthropist
, and community activist in Charleston, South Carolina
. She is President and Co-founder of KSI Leadership & Management Development.
. She is the daughter of Ralph W. Ketner, founder of the Food Lion
chain of grocery stores, and Ruth Hope of Georgetown, South Carolina
.
She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in 1972 with a B.A. in English and holds a Masters Degree in Sociology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
, challenging Republican incumbent Henry E. Brown, Jr. The district stretches from Charleston to Myrtle Beach, and has been held by Republicans since 1981. Ketner positioned ran the strongest campaign of any Democrat in the district since the party last seriously contested the seat in 1986. By September 30 she had raised $1.6 million, more than double Brown's total. This led Congressional Quarterly
to change its rating of the contest to "Lean Republican." Ketner lost with 48 percent of the vote to Brown's 52 percent. She won Charleston County with 54 percent of the vote, but Brown swamped her in the suburban and rural areas. Ketner only won 44.3 percent of the vote from the more suburban and rural areas of the district. This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district since 1986.
Had Ketner defeated Brown, she would have been the second woman elected to Congress from South Carolina in her own right, following fellow Democrat Liz J. Patterson
, who represented the 4th District from 1987 to 1993. She would also been the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Charleston since 1981.
Ketner is openly
lesbian
. Although the 1st has historically been a socially conservative district, it was not thought her sexual orientation would hamper her chances because the Charleston area is not as socially conservative as the rest of the state. If she had defeated Brown, she would have been the first openly gay person to represent a district in the South.
In June 2009, Ketner announced that she would not be a candidate for the same congressional seat in the 2010 election.
, http://www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org/ she oversees grants to organizations working for solutions to community problems.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and community activist in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. She is President and Co-founder of KSI Leadership & Management Development.
Background
Ketner was born in Salisbury, North CarolinaSalisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
. She is the daughter of Ralph W. Ketner, founder of the Food Lion
Food Lion
Food Lion LLC is an American grocery store company headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina that operates approximately 1,300 supermarkets in 11 Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states as well as Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia under the Food Lion, Harveys Supermarket, Bloom, Bottom Dollar...
chain of grocery stores, and Ruth Hope of Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
.
She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in 1972 with a B.A. in English and holds a Masters Degree in Sociology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Political candidate
In February 2008 she announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st congressional districtSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district
The 1st Congressional District of South Carolina is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina. It stretches from Seabrook Island in the south to the North Carolina border and includes parts of Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Georgetown counties and all of Horry county...
, challenging Republican incumbent Henry E. Brown, Jr. The district stretches from Charleston to Myrtle Beach, and has been held by Republicans since 1981. Ketner positioned ran the strongest campaign of any Democrat in the district since the party last seriously contested the seat in 1986. By September 30 she had raised $1.6 million, more than double Brown's total. This led Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
to change its rating of the contest to "Lean Republican." Ketner lost with 48 percent of the vote to Brown's 52 percent. She won Charleston County with 54 percent of the vote, but Brown swamped her in the suburban and rural areas. Ketner only won 44.3 percent of the vote from the more suburban and rural areas of the district. This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district since 1986.
Had Ketner defeated Brown, she would have been the second woman elected to Congress from South Carolina in her own right, following fellow Democrat Liz J. Patterson
Liz J. Patterson
Elizabeth Johnston "Liz" Patterson is an American politician from the Democratic Party. She is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Her father, Olin D. Johnston, served as Governor of South Carolina and as U.S. Senator from South Carolina.Patterson grew up in Kensington,...
, who represented the 4th District from 1987 to 1993. She would also been the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Charleston since 1981.
Ketner is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. Although the 1st has historically been a socially conservative district, it was not thought her sexual orientation would hamper her chances because the Charleston area is not as socially conservative as the rest of the state. If she had defeated Brown, she would have been the first openly gay person to represent a district in the South.
In June 2009, Ketner announced that she would not be a candidate for the same congressional seat in the 2010 election.
Charitable donor
Having established the Women’s Fund, Ketner Fund, and the Fund for Social Justice at the Coastal Community Foundation of South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, http://www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org/ she oversees grants to organizations working for solutions to community problems.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2008#District 1
- South Carolina's 1st congressional districtSouth Carolina's 1st congressional districtThe 1st Congressional District of South Carolina is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina. It stretches from Seabrook Island in the south to the North Carolina border and includes parts of Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Georgetown counties and all of Horry county...
External links
- Linda Ketner for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org