Richard Cash

Richard J. Cash (born March 31, 1960) is an American businessman and politician. He is a member of the Republican Party has served as a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 3rd District since 2017.

Early life and education Cash was born on March 31, 1960 in Jacksonville, Florida to Thomas and Audrey Cash. He graduated magna cum laude from Furman University in 1982 with a BA in business management. While there, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1990, he received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

S.C. Senate Cash has represented the 3rd District (northern Anderson County) since 2017. He was elected during a special election to fill the unexpired term of Kevin L. Bryant, who vacated the seat after accepting the position of Lt. Governor of South Carolina.

LGBT rights Cash has an established history of anti-LGBT views. He has opposed hate crime bills because of the inclusion of gender and sexual identities. He has sponsored legislation to restrict the rights of transgender youth. For example, when he opposed Lindsey Graham from the right in 2014, his ads touted numerous arrests for protesting abortion and criticized Graham for his positions on abortion.

In 2023, Cash was one of the main Senators to push for tighter abortion restrictions in the state, opposing the 'Sister Senators', the five women who worked together across party lines to resist the bill. The Senate passed a six-week abortion law that year, with certain exceptions for sexual assault, incest, fetal anomalies, and medical emergency.

In 2025, Cash authored Senate Bill 323, which sought to make abortion a felony offense punishable by up to 30 years in prison and remove the exceptions that South Carolina currently allows for sexual assault, incest, and fetal anomalies. It also sought to criminalize providing information on how to access abortion legally. The State Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee, chaired by Cash, declined to advance the bill after it failed in a 3-2 vote on November 18, 2025. Cash and Senator Tom Fernandez voted in favor of advancing the bill, while Senators Deon Tedder, Ronnie A. Sabb, and Brad Hutto voted against it.

Personal life Cash is a Presbyterian, and a member of Christ Church, EPC in Anderson.

Electoral history Year Office Type Party Main opponent Party Votes for Cash Result Swing Ref. Total % . 2010 U.S. Representative Rep. primary Republican Jeff Duncan Republican 20,923 25.35% 1st N/A Runoff N/A Rep. primary runoff Republican Jeff Duncan Republican 35,129 48.50% 2nd N/A N/A 2014 Senator Rep. primary Republican Lindsey Graham Republican 26,325 8.30% 3rd N/A N/A 2017 S.C. Senator Rep. primary Republican Carol Burdette Republican 2,032 25.82% 2nd N/A Runoff N/A Special Republican Write-in N/A 3,035 81.70% 1st N/A Hold 2020 Rep. primary Republican Craig Wooten Republican 9,411 56.76% 1st N/A N/A General Republican Judith Polson Democratic 44,446 74.03% 1st N/A Hold

In 2017, Cash received several endorsements, including from Lt. Governor Bryant, Representative Jonathan D. Hill, and the Club for Growth. In 2020, Cash was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund, Republican Liberty Caucus, and South Carolina Citizens for Life.