Legislators propose naming the annual BCBS legislative softball game for beloved attorney, lobbyist
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
The S.C. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution calling for the naming of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Legislative Softball Game as “the Mary Elizabeth Mullikin Annual Legislative Softball Game,” in lasting tribute, according to the resolution, to Mary Elizabeth Mullikin’s “legacy of friendship, service, and joy.” The resolution was passed following a reading in the convened House Chambers, S.C. State House, Wednesday, June 18. The resolution was dated April 22, 2025, a mere three weeks following the sudden death of Ms. Mullikin, 38, following a brief illness.
Mullikin was the eldest daughter of Dr. Tom Mullikin, director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, and Virginia Ann Mullikin: All three Mullikins accomplished attorneys, the parents being graduates of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the younger deceased Mullikin a 2011 graduate of the Charleston School of Law.
“The loss of Mary Elizabeth leaves a void in my and my wife Virginia Ann’s hearts that nothing on this earth will ever fill,” said Dr. Mullikin hours after the resolution was passed. “But I am forever grateful for dear friends like Sen. Thomas Alexander, president of the S.C. Senate, Speaker Murrell Smith and Mr. James D’Alessio, who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me in my and my family’s grief. And I am grateful for all these distinguished members of the legislature who are now ensuring that Mary Elizabeth’s love and legacy will never be forgotten.”
According to her obituary: “Mary Elizabeth was a talented athlete, playing several sports as a young child and in high school. While she played many sports, her greatest sporting accomplishments were in tennis and martial arts. She held the number one position on the Camden High School tennis team. Mary Elizabeth also excelled in American freestyle karate, earning a black belt in that discipline. She would eventually become an avid SCUBA diver often assisting her father Tom, a certified SCUBA diving instructor, with his SCUBA training and preparation of classes.”
Ms. Mullikin also served in the White House as a member of the presidential advance team under former President George W. Bush. She also worked in the S.C. Senate, and as a young lobbyist was a regular fixture and friend to all in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle at the S.C. State House.
Ms. Mullikin worked for the law firm started by her parents, the Mullikin Law Firm, and gained experience and extensive knowledge on state and federal laws governing health care and insurance and the South Carolina legislative process. This led her to a position at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. A champion for victims of domestic abuse, she also served on the board of directors of Pathways to Healing, a non-profit organization aimed at ending sexual violence through advocacy, education, and supportive services for domestic abuse victims in South Carolina.
The newly passed House Resolution referred to Ms. Mullikin as “A daughter of South Carolina who exemplified the very best of the state and who brought joy to the State House through her laughter, grace, and generous heart.”
– Pictured (L-R) Caroline Delaney; Ms. Mullikin’s sister Charlie Mullikin Whitney (holding Ms. Mullikin’s nephew Theo Whitney); James D’Alessio, vice president of government affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of S.C.; House Speaker G. Murrell Smith, Jr.; Ms. Mullikin’s parents SCDNR Director Tom Mullikin and Mrs. Virginia Ann Mullikin; S.C. Sen. Thomas Alexander; Ms. Mullikin’s brother Thomas Mullikin, Jr; and Ms. Mullikin’s brother-in-law Kershaw County Councilman Brant Tomlinson.
