Liz J. Patterson

Liz Patterson

Elizabeth Johnston "Liz" Patterson (born November 18, 1939 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an American politician. 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, Maryland. She graduated from Columbia College of South Carolina and did graduate work at the University of South Carolina. She worked in Washington, D.C., for the Peace Corps and the Office of Economic Opportunity during the Administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Patterson also worked as the South Carolina director of the Head Start Program and as an assistant to Congressman James R. Mann.

Patterson served on the Spartanburg County Council from 1975 to 1976 and in the South Carolina State Senate from 1979 to 1986. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's Fourth Congressional District in 1986, succeeding Carroll A. Campbell, Jr., who had given up the seat and been elected Governor of South Carolina. She was re-elected in 1988 and 1990. She served on the House Committees on Banking and Veterans Affairs. Patterson was narrowly defeated for re-election in 1992 by Bob Inglis. She was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in 1994. She now teaches political science at Spartanburg Methodist College and is the chairwoman of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party. No woman has served in Congress from South Carolina since Patterson left office.