Margie Bright Matthews (born February 10, 1963) is a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 45th District since 2015, when she won a special election to succeed Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in the Charleston church shooting in 2015.

[13] Bright Matthews was among several African American women from around the United States who endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for President in 2016.

[24][25][26] Despite significant support for the bill from other legislators and advocacy groups like the S.C. Press Association, Matthews maintained that establishing a new administrative office for FOIA disputes was unnecessary.

[27] Her opposition led to amendments that kept FOIA cases within the jurisdiction of circuit courts but imposed stricter deadlines for processing requests, aiming to balance transparency with fiscal responsibility.

[30] Reports have shown that some agencies have not complied with the law's requirement to post fee schedules online, further complicating access to information.

Critics argue that the allowance for redaction costs has effectively blocked access to public records, undermining the law's intent.

[32][33] In 2021, the SPA agreed to transfer its interest in the terminal to Jasper County, contingent on legislative approval of $550 million in debt for improvements at the Port of Charleston.

Matthews supported this bond bill, highlighting its potential to aid South Carolina's poorest counties and attract businesses to the region.

In 2016, she was the lone dissenting vote against a personhood bill that sought to grant legal rights to unborn children from conception, arguing it would lead to costly constitutional challenges shouldered by the state.

[35] Matthews played a significant role in the 2018 filibuster against a bill that would have banned nearly all abortions in South Carolina, highlighting the lack of female representation in legislative discussions.

[40] In addition to opposing restrictive abortion laws, Matthews has advocated for better healthcare access to address high infant mortality rates in rural areas.

[41] Throughout her career, Matthews has called for greater female representation in the legislature[42] and advocated for public referendums to allow South Carolinians to decide on abortion rights.

[48] In 2019, Matthews became involved in the controversy surrounding the death of Raniya Wright, a fifth-grader from Forest Hills Elementary School in Walterboro, South Carolina.

[52] Adding to the controversy, Matthews was identified as the attorney for the substitute teacher involved in the incident, although she publicly denied this role.