Reid Beaman | State House District 87

Meet the Leaders Shaping Lexington’s Future: Reid Beaman

Common Sense Christian Family Man

People always ask me, Reid, why are you running? Am my responses never wavered. I’m standing before you today because God gave me a miracle, and that is my son, Nate. 
And without him, I wouldn’t be here today, because God put my wife and I here in life in South Carolina, so that when she went into cardiac heart failure due to pregnancy, at 30 weeks, with our son, that a team of 20 doctors at Prisma, Richland, were able and ready to act and save their lives. I was given a miracle, and I don’t know why. I’m not a perfect Christian. I’m not a perfect person. I’m not perfect in anything, really. I’m just me. And yes, I was given what people pray for every single day. And that is a miracle. 


And I’ve spent the last two, almost three years of my life questioning, why me? And why not someone else? Why did God give me that miracle? 
And my answer came from a news article about the maternity deserts that we have here in South Carolina, and the closing of rural hospitals, and access for proper medical care across the state. Because our state is making it impossible for our residents, especially young pregnant women to get adequate medical and prenatal care. And they’re having to either travel to bigger cities like Greenville, Columbia, or Myrtle Beach for the saving medical treatment, or just even to just get care for their unborn babies. And that’s not right, y’all. That’s a downright crime against every citizen of this state. Your zip code, where you live here in South Carolina shouldn’t dictate who gets good medical treatment and who doesn’t.

Everyone in South Carolina deserves to have access to a hospital with life-saving treatment and that has doctors and nurses that are actually there and available to provide that treatment. And you shouldn’t have to drive 30 minutes away to an hour to see those doctors. Because without more doctors, nurses, rural medical clinics and hospitals, Miracles can’t happen like the miracle that I was given. Because I believe most firmly that God works through the loving hands of those around us. And when that is not able to happen, it hurts all of us. Because you all deserve it. And I’m here to help deliver it, because hope without action can’t get us through. Only through hope and action taken can we succeed together! And that’s what I aim to do.

The Root: What is your favorite local spot, tradition, or memory in Lexington County, and how does it shape the way you view our community?

I would have to say that my favorite place in Lexington is Virgina Hylton Park. My wife and I love taking our son Nate there especially in the fall with all the trees turning orange and yellow. I would say going to the park really gives me a wonderful perspective on how much Lexington is growing for young families like mine. Plus, I really enjoy getting to know the other parents and their kids.

The Daily Reality: Aside from politics, what is your day job or daily routine, and how does it open your eyes to the actual struggles facing working families in our district?

My daily routine is basically balancing being a freelance comic book artist and being a dad. With Nate by my side, we go grocery shopping at Walmart every week and I’ve watched the faces and carts of the families, seniors, and single folks who live in Lexington. I have watched those faces turn more stressed and worried with each passing week. Carts once full of groceries are half the size they use to be with the loss of fresh cuts of meat replaced by canned meat or hot dogs and boxes of hamburger helper. It’s been extremely troubling to watch and hear the voices of anger when they read the prices of products they once loved or the faces of anguish at the register once they are given the total. My own wallet and grocery bills have more than doubled and money doesn’t seem to stretch like it use too.

The Fix: If you could fix one frustrating daily problem for families on your block tomorrow morning, what would it be?

Hands down I’d fix the problem with our tap water smelling like rotten eggs and the bad taste. What we’ve been told is that my neighborhood is at the end of the water line system and we get really foul smelling water due to the algae blooms at the local water treatment plant. This has been a constant issue for the five years I have lived in my neighborhood! It’s the constant talk of the neighborhood and we would all love our water to not smell and taste like ass anymore.

The Vision: Why are you stepping up right now when staying on the sidelines would be easier? What gives you hope for the future of South Carolina?

I’m stepping up for my son, Nate. I want him to know that his daddy did all he could to make this state better for him and the rest of the children of South Carolina. I want all our kids to grow up in a better South Carolina, one that values education, values the truth, values taking care of our land, and most importantly taking care of our people. My son gives me hope, and so does all the men and women who are running this election cycle who want to bring change to a state that doesn’t bend easily to it. God is in the work, we must take care of each other.