Rainey Made Political History in 1870
Settling in Charleston, which was 43% Black with people from the Global Majority who had been free and had skills before the war and now could also vote, Rainey found political success. His experience and wealth helped establish him as a leader, joining the executive committee of the state Republican Party (the party of Abraham Lincoln). Rainey was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1868 and in 1870, he was elected to the State Senate of South Carolina and was the chair of the Finance Committee. That year he won a special election as a Republican to fill a vacancy in the 41st Congress of the United States, becoming the first Black man to hold that seat. Rainey was seated in December 12, 1870, and was re-elected to Congress, serving a total of four terms. He served until March 3, 1879, serving four terms, holding the record for length of service. That record was broken in the 1950s by William Dawson of Chicago, Ill. Rainey was also the first Black to preside of the House as Speaker pro tempore.
