Kristopher Crawford

Education and family

Crawford graduated from The Citadel in 1992, and earned his M.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2001. He served on Governor Sanford's Task Force on Healthcare. Crawford and his wife Rebecca are the parents of four children.

South Carolina House of Representatives

Crawford was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly in 2006. He serves on the Labor, Commerce and Industry and Rules committees.

Midwifery issue

In 2013, Crawford introduced a bill that would change the way that midwives are licensed in South Carolina. Currently regulated by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), "new legislation, house bill H. 3731, would move licensing and regulation of midwives from its current home at DHEC to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), which handles all other medical professionals." Crawford justified the bill as a safety measure. The bill, which also would require an obstetrician to supervise all midwife-assisted deliveries, was opposed by a petition by 2,000 mothers and other citizens, because it would effectively ban home births. Crawford said he "has no wish to ban home births" and, after opposition to his bill appeared, suggested that he could amend the bill before a vote on its passage.

Tax case

In 2010, Crawford was charged with seven counts of failure to file state tax documents. His defense was that his tax accountant had not told him of the failure to file his taxes. After a mistrial due to a hung jury in April 2012, he was re-tried and convicted by a jury of four misdemeanors of willfully failing to file and pay his taxes, and fined US$10,000. The State expressed dismay that Crawford's and other crimes by local politicians had not garnered the attention and opprobrium they deserved.

Medicaid discussion & "the black guy in the White House" statement

In January 2013, a group of doctors lobbied the General Assembly to expand Medicaid eligibility. Dr. Crawford agreed with them but said the proposal probably wouldn't pass because, "it is good politics to oppose the black guy in the White House right now, especially for the Republican Party."

Reaction

Republican Governor Nikki Haley issued a statement calling Crawford's remarks an "ignorant comment [that] in no way represents the people of South Carolina - and it's a shame that the views of a few end up damaging the image of our state as a whole."

2012 Republican Party presidential primary

Crawford initially supported Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, hoping to draft him for President of the United States in 2012, saying, "the country needs him". Ultimately, when Christie chose not to run, Crawford endorsed and campaigned for former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich in the 2012 Republican Party presidential primary.

Gingrich won the South Carolina Republican presidential preference primary but lost to former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.