Speaker Lucas: All of this is so improbable

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The House’s newly elected leader calls himself an improbable speaker, but he believes he’s the right person to lead the chamber past the cloud that’s hung over it for two years.

Rep. Jay Lucas says he’s still amazed he even got elected to the House 16 years ago. The soft-spoken, 57-year-old Hartsville attorney is the first speaker ever from rural Darlington County and the first from the Pee Dee region since 1934.

Speaker pro tem since 2010, Lucas replaces Bobby Harrell, who pleaded guilty in October to campaign spending violations and resigned.

It’s been 34 years since someone ascended to speaker without being a committee chairman.

Lucas’ colleagues attribute his rise largely to his likability, along with his commitment to be inclusive and lessen the speaker’s power.