Since the country’s founding, no Black woman has ever served as a governor in the United States. But South Carolina Democratic state Sen. Mia McLeod says she’s the person who can change that, despite the fact that Democrats haven’t been elected to a statewide office there in 15 years.

“I want to be the person that is running not because I’m a woman, and not because I’m Black, but because I am so connected to and so much like the people that I represent,” McLeod, a Columbia-area lawmaker, told The Associated Press ahead of Thursday’s official 2022 campaign launch. “It’s a tremendous responsibility, but it’s one that I’m excited about.”

McLeod, 52, spoke extensively with AP during a Tuesday tour of her hometown of Bennettsville, a rural hamlet about 100 mi (160 km) northeast of the state capital. It’s the seat of Marlboro County, which has one of the state’s highest unemployment rates. Asked about her top campaign concerns, McLeod cited education and health care, noting the area’s crumbling schools and lack of a hospital since 2015.

The state spending plan heading to the South Carolina House floor next week offers state employees a 3% raise and teachers a $1,000 bump in pay.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday approved a nearly $11 billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The spending plan includes money the state didn’t spend this budget year because lawmakers feared a more serious economic downturn in the COVID-19 pandemic.

One issue the committee decided was best taken up next week by the whole House was a proposal to provide big lottery prizes to people who get a COVID-19 vaccine, based on programs in Ohio and other states.