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South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2018

2018 South Carolina
House elections
Flag of South Carolina.png
GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 12, 2018
Primary RunoffJune 26, 2018
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:

Republicans maintained their majority in the 2018 elections for South Carolina House of Representatives, winning 80 seats to Democrats' 44. All 124 House seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans held 80 seats to Democrats' 44.

The Republican Party maintained its trifecta in South Carolina in 2018 by holding its majorities in the state Senate and House and by retaining the governorship.

The South Carolina House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

South Carolina state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Post-election analysis

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Republican Party maintained control of both chambers of the South Carolina General Assembly following the 2018 election. The state Senate did not hold regular elections. The South Carolina House of Representatives held elections for all 124 seats. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives was maintained at 80-44. Two Democratic incumbents and two Republican incumbents were defeated in the primary. Three incumbents were defeated in the general election; one Democrat and two Republicans.

National background

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

Want more information?

Candidates

See also: Statistics on state legislative candidates, 2018

General election

Political party key:
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
Begins.png Green Party
Libertarian Party Libertarian Party
Darkgreen.png Working Families Party
Independent Independent Party Purple.png American Party

Fusion voting candidates

Primary runoff

Primary

South Carolina House of Representatives primary candidates
District Democratic Party

Democrat

Republican Party

Republican

Other
1 No candidate Bill Whitmire (I) Approved
2 Jody Gaulin Approved Bill Sandifer III (I) Approved
3 No candidate Gary Clary (I) Approved
4 No candidate Davey Hiott (I) Approved
Phillip Healy
5 No candidate Neal Collins (I) RunoffArrow.jpg
David Cox
Allan Quinn RunoffArrow.jpg
6 No candidate Brian White (I) Approved
Rick Freemantle
Ryan Cowsert (American)
7 No candidate Jay West (I) Approved
Dennis Ted Grindstaff
8 No candidate Jonathon Hill (I) Approved
Don Bowen
9 No candidate Anne Thayer (I) Approved
10 Lucy Hoffman Approved West Cox Approved
11 Devon Smith Approved Craig Gagnon (I) Approved
Dale Phillips
12 J. Anne Parks (I) Approved No candidate
13 Michael Gaskin Approved John McCravy (I) Approved
14 No candidate Michael Pitts (I) Approved
15 JA Moore Approved Samuel Rivers Jr. (I) Approved
Steven Smith
16 No candidate Mark Willis (I) Approved
17 Judi Buckley Approved Mike Burns (I) Approved
Lee Vining
18 No candidate Tommy Stringer (I) Approved
Tony Gilliard
19 Carrie Counton Approved
Hao Wu
Dwight Loftis (I) Approved
20 No candidate Bobby Davis
Adam Morgan Approved
21 No candidate Phyllis Henderson (I)
Bobby Cox Approved
22 B.K. Brown Approved Jason Elliott (I) Approved
Brett Brocato
Samuel Harms
23 Chandra Dillard (I) Approved No candidate
24 No candidate Bruce Bannister (I) Approved
25 Leola Robinson-Simpson (I) Approved
Bruce Wilson
Jack Logan
Steve Moore Approved Tony Boyce (Independence)
26 John Kraljevich Approved R. Raye Felder (I) Approved
27 No candidate Garry Smith (I) Approved
Fred Wall
Ira Williams
28 No candidate Ashley Trantham (I) Approved
29 No candidate Dennis Moss (I) Approved
30 No candidate Steve Moss (I) Approved
31 Rosalyn Henderson Myers (I) Approved No candidate
32 No candidate O'Neal Mintz
Max Hyde Approved
33 No candidate Eddie Tallon (I) Approved
Tommy Dimsdale
34 No candidate Mike Forrester (I) Approved
35 Helen Pendarvis Approved Bill Chumley (I) Approved
36 No candidate Merita Ann Allison (I) Approved
37 No candidate Steven Long (I) Approved
Donna Hicks
38 No candidate Josiah Magnuson (I) Approved
Joan Clyborne
39 No candidate Cal Forrest (I) Approved
40 No candidate Richard Martin (I) Approved
41 MaryGail Douglas (I)
Annie McDaniel Approved
No candidate Fred Kennedy (United Citizens)
42 No candidate Doug Gilliam Approved
Phillip Russell
Brooks Carwile
43 Tom Hawk Approved Joe Tate
Randy Ligon Approved
44 Mandy Powers Norrell (I) No candidate
45 Corin Buskey Brandon Newton (I) Approved
46 Carl Kenny Dicks Approved Gary Simrill (I) Approved
47 Marty Cotton Approved Tommy Pope (I) Approved
48 Vickie Holt Approved Bruce Bryant (I) Approved
49 John King (I) Approved No candidate Johnny Walker (American)
50 Will Wheeler (I) Approved No candidate
51 J. David Weeks (I) Approved No candidate
52 Laurie Funderburk (I) Approved Penry Gustafson Approved
53 No candidate Richie Yow (I) Approved
54 Patricia Henegan (I) Approved No candidate
55 Jackie Hayes (I) Approved
Archie Scott
Jack Scott
No candidate
56 No candidate Tim McGinnis (I) Approved
57 Lucas Atkinson (I) Approved No candidate
58 Paul Morse Approved Jeff Johnson (I) Approved
59 Terry Alexander (I) Approved No candidate
60 Devon Justin Long Approved Phillip Lowe (I) Approved
61 Roger Kirby (I) Approved No candidate
62 Robert Williams (I) Approved
Joe Ard
Linda Byrd-Spearman
Billy Baldwin Approved
63 Mike Brank Approved Jay Jordan (I) Approved
64 Robert L. Ridgeway III (I) Approved
Mitch Ellerby
No candidate
65 No candidate Jay Lucas (I) Approved
66 Gilda Cobb-Hunter (I) Approved Tom Connor Approved
67 No candidate George Smith Jr. (I) Approved Brandon Humphries (L)
68 No candidate Heather Ammons Crawford (I) Approved Cameron Ventura (L)
69 Beth Ann Rocheleau Approved Chris Wooten (I) Approved David Morris (L)
70 Wendy Brawley (I) Approved No candidate
71 No candidate Nathan Ballentine (I) Approved
Todd Watlington
Britton Wolf
72 Seth Rose Approved No candidate
73 Christopher Hart (I) Approved Ralph Bell Approved
74 James Rutherford (I) Approved No candidate Michael Block (United Citizens)
75 John Vernon Crangle Approved Kirkman Finlay III (I) Approved
76 Leon Howard (I) Approved
T'Nae Parker
No candidate
77 Joseph McEachern (I) RunoffArrow.jpg
John McClenic
Kambrell Garvin RunoffArrow.jpg
Deyaska Spencer
No candidate Justin Bishop (L)
78 Beth Bernstein (I) Approved No candidate
79 Ivory Thigpen (I) Approved No candidate Victor Kocher (L)
80 Jimmy Bales (I) Approved No candidate
81 Elise Fox Approved Bart Blackwell (I) Approved
82 William Clyburn Sr. (I) Approved No candidate
83 No candidate Bill Hixon (I) Approved David Weikle (L)
84 Jennifer Lariscey Approved Ronnie Young (I)
85 Sam Edwards Approved Chip Huggins (I) Approved
86 No candidate Bill Taylor (I) Approved
87 Diane Summers Approved Austin Bowers
Paula Rawl Calhoon RunoffArrow.jpg
Todd Carnes RunoffArrow.jpg
88 No candidate McLain Toole (I) Approved
89 No candidate Micah Caskey (I) Approved
Billy Oswald
90 Justin Bamberg (I) Approved No candidate
91 Lonnie Hosey (I) Approved No candidate
92 No candidate Joe Daning (I) Approved
93 Russell L. Ott (I) Approved Terry Kiser Sr. Approved
94 Damian Daly Approved Glenn Zingarino
Con Chellis Approved
Evan Guthrie
95 Jerry Govan Jr. (I) Approved
Kevin Ray
Gene Gartman Jr.
Chester Palmer Approved
96 Bob Vanlue Approved Lawrence Kit Spires (I) Approved
Perry Finch
97 Patsy Knight (I) Approved Don Johnson
Mandy Kimmons Approved
98 No candidate Chris Murphy (I) Approved
Larry Hargett
99 Jen Gibson Approved Nancy Mace (I) Approved
100 Michael Yates Approved Sylleste Davis (I) Approved
Tom Fernandez
101 Alfred Darby
Cezar McKnight (I) Approved
No candidate
102 Joseph Jefferson Jr. (I) Approved Terry Hardesty Approved
103 Carl Anderson (I) Approved
John Henry
Dedric Bonds
No candidate
104 No candidate Greg Duckworth (I)
William Bailey Approved
105 No candidate Kevin J. Hardee (I) Approved
106 Robin Gause Approved Russell Fry (I) Approved
107 No candidate Alan Clemmons (I) Approved
108 No candidate Lee Hewitt (I) Approved
109 David Mack (I) Approved No candidate Rodney Travis (L)
110 Ben Pogue Approved William S. Cogswell Jr. (I) RunoffArrow.jpg
Russell Guerard RunoffArrow.jpg
Will Freeman
111 Wendell Gilliard (I) Approved No candidate
112 Joe Preston Approved Mike Sottile (I) Approved
Jason Clouse
113 Marvin Pendarvis (I) Approved No candidate
114 Dan Jones Approved Lin Bennett (I) Approved Melissa Couture (L)
115 Carol Tempel Approved Peter McCoy (I) Approved
116 Robert Brown (I) Approved Charles Glover
Carroll O'Neal Approved
117 Krystle Simmons Approved Bill Crosby (I) Approved
Jordan Scott Pace
118 No candidate Bill Herbkersman (I) Approved
119 Leon Stavrinakis (I) Approved Paul Sizemore Approved
120 Gabriela Failing Approved Weston Newton (I) Approved
121 Michael Rivers (I) Approved No candidate
122 William Bowers (I)
Shedron Williams Approved
No candidate
123 Mario Martinez Approved Jeff Bradley (I) Approved
Phil Hartman
124 No candidate Shannon Erickson (I) Approved
Notes • An (I) denotes an incumbent.
• Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our Elections Project.

Margins of victory

See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 South Carolina House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[1]
South Carolina House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[1]
Democratic Party Democratic 44 2 26 43.5%
Republican Party Republican 80 3 42 31.2%
Grey.png Other 0 0 0 N/A
Total 124 5 68 37.3%

The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).

South Carolina House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Party Losing Party Margin of Victory
South Carolina House of Representatives District 115 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 2.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 15 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 4.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 117 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 7.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 97 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 7.8%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 114 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 8.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 110 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 10.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 116 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 12.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 26 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 14.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 112 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 14.7%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 52 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 14.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 75 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 15.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 46 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 21.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 48 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 21.7%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 102 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 21.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 99 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 22.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 60 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 22.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 19 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 22.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 123 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 24.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 45 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 25.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 81 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 26.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 100 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 26.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 94 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 26.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 62 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 26.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 22 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 27.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 120 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 28.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 2 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 28.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 63 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 29.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 84 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 29.7%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 30.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 35 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 30.6%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 11 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 31.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 43 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 31.5%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 93 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 32.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 85 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 32.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 69 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 32.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 106 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 36.9%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 66 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 43.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 13 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 43.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 47 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 43.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 96 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 43.8%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 95 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 45.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 87 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 47.6%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 17 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 52.2%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 Ends.png Republican Electiondot.png Democratic 53.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 73 Electiondot.png Democratic Ends.png Republican 56.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 41 Electiondot.png Democratic Grey.png United Citizens Party 57.6%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 68 Ends.png Republican Specialsession.png Libertarian 59.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 83 Ends.png Republican Specialsession.png Libertarian 62.1%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 49 Electiondot.png Democratic Independent_American_Party American Party 63.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 25 Electiondot.png Democratic Darkpurple.png Independence Party 64.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 67 Ends.png Republican Specialsession.png Libertarian 65.3%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 6 Ends.png Republican Independent_American_Party American Party 66.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 77 Electiondot.png Democratic Specialsession.png Libertarian 70.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 109 Electiondot.png Democratic Specialsession.png Libertarian 75.5%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 79 Electiondot.png Democratic Specialsession.png Libertarian 76.4%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 74 Electiondot.png Democratic Grey.png United Citizens Party 81.0%
South Carolina House of Representatives District 1 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 105 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 107 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 108 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 111 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 113 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 118 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 12 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 121 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 124 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 14 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 16 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 23 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 24 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 28 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 29 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 3 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 30 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 31 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 34 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 36 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 39 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 40 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 44 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 50 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 51 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 53 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 54 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 56 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 57 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 59 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 61 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 65 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 70 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 72 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 78 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 80 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 82 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 86 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 88 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 9 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 90 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 91 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 92 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 55 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 64 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 76 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 101 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 103 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 122 Electiondot.png Democratic None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 4 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 5 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 7 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 8 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 18 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 20 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 21 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 27 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 32 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 33 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 37 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 38 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 42 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 58 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 71 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 89 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 98 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed
South Carolina House of Representatives District 104 Ends.png Republican None Unopposed

Seats flipped

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, South Carolina House of Representatives
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
South Carolina House of Representatives District 117 Republican Party Bill Crosby Democratic Party Krystle Simmons R to D
South Carolina House of Representatives District 15 Republican Party Samuel Rivers Jr. Democratic Party J.A. Moore R to D
South Carolina House of Representatives District 42 Democratic Party Michael Anthony Republican Party Doug Gilliam D to R
South Carolina House of Representatives District 97 Democratic Party Patsy Knight Republican Party Mandy Kimmons D to R

Incumbents retiring

Eight incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[2] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Joshua Putnam Ends.png Republican House District 10
Dan Hamilton Ends.png Republican House District 20
Derham Cole Jr. Ends.png Republican House District 32
Michael Anthony Electiondot.png Democratic House District 42
Francis Delleney Jr. Ends.png Republican House District 43
James Smith Jr. Electiondot.png Democratic House District 72
Todd Atwater Ends.png Republican House District 87
Katie Arrington Ends.png Republican House District 94

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Carolina

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 7, Chapter 11 of the South Carolina Code

In South Carolina, a candidate can run as the nominee of a political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.

For partisan candidates

"Statement of Intention of Candidacy/Party Pledge Form," 2013

Each non-presidential candidate seeking a political party's nomination to run in a general or special election must file a "Statement of Intention of Candidacy/Party Pledge Form" (SICPP) between noon on March 16 and noon on March 30. A candidate for federal office or statewide office (i.e., governor or secretary of state) must file with the South Carolina State Election Commission. A candidate for the state legislature, a countywide office, or a less-than-countywide office must file with the county election commission in the candidate's county of residence. The candidate must also file a statement of economic interests with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. A candidate who files as a Democrat or Republican must pay a filing fee.[3][4][5]

For independent candidates

An independent candidate must be nominated by petition. The petition must contain signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the qualified registered electors in the geographical area of the office being sought. No petition candidate is required to collect more than 10,000 signatures for any office.[6][7]

Petition candidates for multi-county offices must file their petitions with the South Carolina State Election Commission. All petition candidates for the state legislature also file with the State Election Commission. A petition candidate must also file a statement of economic interests with the State Ethics Commission. Signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[6][8]

Petition signature requirements for independent candidates in South Carolina
Office sought Number of signatures needed
Governor and other statewide offices 5 percent of the qualified registered voters in the state
State legislators 5 percent of the qualified registered voters in the district or area to be represented

For write-in candidates

Generally, there are no filing forms or fees required to run as a write-in candidate. However, a write-in candidate should notify the appropriate election commission in writing that he or she is conducting a write-in campaign. A candidate who was defeated in a political party's primary may not actively campaign as a write-in candidate for the ensuing election.[9][10]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the South Carolina House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[11]

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 21 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A resident of the district at the filing deadline time

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[12]
SalaryPer diem
$10,400/year$231/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.[13]

South Carolina political history

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Party control

2018

In the 2018 elections, there was no change to the partisan balance of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

South Carolina House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 44 44
     Republican Party 80 80
Total 124 124

2016

In the 2016 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 78-46 to 80-44.

South Carolina House of Representatives
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 46 44
     Republican Party 77 80
     Vacancy 1 0
Total 124 124

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in South Carolina gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2002 elections by taking control of the governorship.

South Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[14]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[15] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[16] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Competitiveness

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016

Click here to read the full study »

Historical context

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 46 South Carolina counties—10.9 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Barnwell County, South Carolina 5.16% 5.33% 1.65%
Calhoun County, South Carolina 2.83% 4.31% 3.55%
Chester County, South Carolina 4.83% 10.58% 8.30%
Colleton County, South Carolina 8.49% 0.19% 0.53%
McCormick County, South Carolina 3.32% 3.60% 6.08%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won South Carolina with 54.9 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 40.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, South Carolina cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 53.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Carolina supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates, 53.3 to 43.3 percent. South Carolina favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in South Carolina. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns show the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns show the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[17][18]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 38 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 85 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 28.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 86 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 30.1 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District Obama Romney 2012 Margin Clinton Trump 2016 Margin Party Control
1 23.28% 75.15% R+51.9 18.61% 77.65% R+59 R
2 31.79% 66.50% R+34.7 28.17% 66.98% R+38.8 R
3 35.60% 61.95% R+26.4 33.39% 58.53% R+25.1 R
4 17.87% 80.08% R+62.2 12.86% 83.53% R+70.7 R
5 23.85% 74.46% R+50.6 20.85% 74.77% R+53.9 R
6 30.99% 67.41% R+36.4 27.78% 67.13% R+39.3 R
7 32.32% 66.10% R+33.8 23.98% 73.09% R+49.1 R
8 33.75% 64.76% R+31 28.69% 68.03% R+39.3 R
9 35.55% 63.02% R+27.5 32.29% 63.27% R+31 R
10 22.06% 76.34% R+54.3 20.11% 75.76% R+55.6 R
11 41.13% 57.49% R+16.4 32.52% 65.04% R+32.5 R
12 59.39% 39.69% D+19.7 53.79% 43.46% D+10.3 D
13 32.85% 65.84% R+33 30.28% 65.63% R+35.3 R
14 36.82% 61.80% R+25 29.74% 67.30% R+37.6 R
15 48.83% 49.47% R+0.6 45.11% 49.55% R+4.4 R
16 41.69% 56.82% R+15.1 36.19% 59.30% R+23.1 R
17 21.18% 76.65% R+55.5 18.81% 75.94% R+57.1 R
18 25.25% 72.79% R+47.5 23.48% 71.10% R+47.6 R
19 35.02% 62.85% R+27.8 34.74% 59.59% R+24.9 R
20 27.09% 70.82% R+43.7 28.31% 64.69% R+36.4 R
21 25.57% 72.91% R+47.3 29.67% 64.13% R+34.5 R
22 32.91% 65.01% R+32.1 35.65% 56.13% R+20.5 R
23 64.77% 33.12% D+31.6 60.89% 32.19% D+28.7 D
24 35.96% 62.42% R+26.5 39.48% 53.84% R+14.4 R
25 71.10% 27.86% D+43.2 65.40% 31.14% D+34.3 D
26 35.32% 62.83% R+27.5 36.60% 57.21% R+20.6 R
27 36.38% 62.10% R+25.7 35.80% 58.61% R+22.8 R
28 34.06% 64.37% R+30.3 32.48% 62.53% R+30.1 R
29 33.75% 64.90% R+31.2 26.63% 70.63% R+44 R
30 34.61% 64.30% R+29.7 27.30% 70.23% R+42.9 R
31 79.20% 19.94% D+59.3 72.36% 24.44% D+47.9 D
32 35.50% 63.00% R+27.5 32.93% 62.60% R+29.7 R
33 30.03% 68.55% R+38.5 25.34% 71.30% R+46 R
34 42.65% 56.21% R+13.6 41.00% 54.57% R+13.6 R
35 27.40% 71.15% R+43.8 27.02% 67.92% R+40.9 R
36 38.11% 60.33% R+22.2 31.58% 64.35% R+32.8 R
37 33.05% 65.49% R+32.4 29.64% 65.82% R+36.2 R
38 23.88% 74.78% R+50.9 18.90% 77.70% R+58.8 R
39 32.81% 65.88% R+33.1 27.32% 69.52% R+42.2 R
40 42.28% 56.63% R+14.4 36.99% 59.60% R+22.6 R
41 63.72% 35.30% D+28.4 61.23% 35.98% D+25.3 D
42 44.12% 54.53% R+10.4 37.44% 59.80% R+22.4 D
43 44.83% 53.97% R+9.1 35.08% 61.58% R+26.5 R
44 46.57% 52.34% R+5.8 38.98% 58.42% R+19.4 D
45 35.40% 63.31% R+27.9 34.76% 60.44% R+25.7 R
46 41.87% 56.57% R+14.7 40.05% 53.52% R+13.5 R
47 31.57% 67.02% R+35.4 26.48% 68.76% R+42.3 R
48 35.74% 62.60% R+26.9 35.12% 59.40% R+24.3 R
49 66.67% 32.40% D+34.3 61.82% 34.84% D+27 D
50 63.30% 35.70% D+27.6 58.24% 39.47% D+18.8 D
51 73.57% 25.50% D+48.1 71.54% 26.14% D+45.4 D
52 41.47% 57.24% R+15.8 37.04% 59.07% R+22 D
53 47.26% 51.83% R+4.6 39.48% 58.10% R+18.6 R
54 58.26% 40.99% D+17.3 53.53% 44.66% D+8.9 D
55 56.03% 43.25% D+12.8 48.68% 49.42% R+0.7 D
56 41.06% 57.56% R+16.5 32.30% 64.06% R+31.8 R
57 62.48% 36.64% D+25.8 57.73% 40.44% D+17.3 D
58 33.03% 66.09% R+33.1 28.08% 69.29% R+41.2 R
59 70.58% 28.54% D+42 67.55% 30.01% D+37.5 D
60 38.35% 60.80% R+22.5 34.96% 62.74% R+27.8 R
61 51.91% 47.23% D+4.7 45.72% 52.23% R+6.5 D
62 65.60% 33.61% D+32 61.45% 36.39% D+25.1 D
63 34.43% 64.43% R+30 35.35% 60.23% R+24.9 R
64 58.22% 40.98% D+17.2 53.18% 45.00% D+8.2 D
65 31.75% 67.08% R+35.3 27.25% 69.53% R+42.3 R
66 72.57% 26.70% D+45.9 68.93% 29.57% D+39.4 D
67 37.94% 61.07% R+23.1 35.62% 60.53% R+24.9 R
68 33.20% 65.40% R+32.2 28.04% 68.23% R+40.2 R
69 31.53% 66.96% R+35.4 30.88% 62.14% R+31.3 R
70 73.89% 25.16% D+48.7 70.02% 27.11% D+42.9 D
71 34.78% 63.68% R+28.9 34.96% 58.73% R+23.8 R
72 68.08% 29.85% D+38.2 69.16% 24.22% D+44.9 D
73 80.11% 18.83% D+61.3 77.42% 18.47% D+58.9 D
74 81.27% 17.11% D+64.2 78.82% 16.24% D+62.6 D
75 42.45% 55.85% R+13.4 47.88% 45.26% D+2.6 R
76 77.22% 21.70% D+55.5 76.59% 19.75% D+56.8 D
77 69.65% 29.43% D+40.2 67.21% 29.11% D+38.1 D
78 49.92% 48.75% D+1.2 52.86% 41.64% D+11.2 D
79 72.59% 26.57% D+46 70.85% 24.80% D+46.1 D
80 59.84% 38.87% D+21 55.10% 40.89% D+14.2 D
81 29.68% 68.58% R+38.9 29.88% 64.05% R+34.2 R
82 59.20% 39.93% D+19.3 54.84% 42.65% D+12.2 D
83 28.62% 69.81% R+41.2 29.03% 66.20% R+37.2 R
84 34.77% 64.20% R+29.4 31.33% 65.32% R+34 R
85 30.93% 67.51% R+36.6 31.43% 62.49% R+31.1 R
86 38.58% 60.04% R+21.5 34.38% 61.86% R+27.5 R
87 20.64% 78.04% R+57.4 20.68% 73.42% R+52.7 R
88 27.08% 71.09% R+44 25.84% 68.79% R+42.9 R
89 38.55% 59.55% R+21 38.45% 55.10% R+16.6 R
90 52.50% 46.54% D+6 46.55% 51.10% R+4.5 D
91 63.50% 35.77% D+27.7 58.70% 39.27% D+19.4 D
92 36.52% 61.43% R+24.9 34.38% 59.77% R+25.4 R
93 59.26% 39.77% D+19.5 53.51% 44.10% D+9.4 D
94 36.52% 61.86% R+25.3 34.95% 58.59% R+23.6 R
95 71.56% 27.77% D+43.8 68.97% 29.07% D+39.9 D
96 29.83% 68.33% R+38.5 24.42% 71.46% R+47 R
97 42.47% 56.02% R+13.5 37.05% 58.73% R+21.7 D
98 40.02% 58.27% R+18.3 38.80% 54.78% R+16 R
99 32.05% 66.30% R+34.3 35.35% 58.14% R+22.8 R
100 33.71% 64.76% R+31 30.44% 64.82% R+34.4 R
101 66.78% 32.31% D+34.5 62.75% 35.67% D+27.1 D
102 60.06% 38.77% D+21.3 54.07% 43.50% D+10.6 D
103 62.63% 36.59% D+26 58.02% 39.82% D+18.2 D
104 33.50% 65.34% R+31.8 28.73% 68.55% R+39.8 R
105 32.43% 66.37% R+33.9 27.34% 69.47% R+42.1 R
106 31.29% 67.43% R+36.1 26.95% 69.91% R+43 R
107 37.67% 60.99% R+23.3 35.21% 61.33% R+26.1 R
108 35.01% 63.87% R+28.9 33.02% 62.98% R+30 R
109 71.24% 27.67% D+43.6 68.57% 27.36% D+41.2 D
110 37.37% 60.72% R+23.3 43.15% 48.70% R+5.5 R
111 78.60% 19.54% D+59.1 75.33% 18.53% D+56.8 D
112 35.27% 63.41% R+28.1 38.92% 54.10% R+15.2 R
113 73.23% 25.55% D+47.7 67.01% 27.72% D+39.3 D
114 38.05% 60.14% R+22.1 38.63% 53.60% R+15 R
115 40.78% 57.26% R+16.5 44.68% 47.55% R+2.9 R
116 53.66% 45.16% D+8.5 49.15% 46.69% D+2.5 D
117 48.43% 49.82% R+1.4 45.56% 47.89% R+2.3 R
118 42.55% 56.44% R+13.9 40.94% 54.97% R+14 R
119 48.34% 49.63% R+1.3 48.31% 43.53% D+4.8 D
120 36.27% 62.73% R+26.5 36.77% 59.01% R+22.2 R
121 64.89% 34.33% D+30.6 60.68% 36.22% D+24.5 D
122 61.99% 37.22% D+24.8 56.78% 41.26% D+15.5 D
123 34.41% 64.63% R+30.2 39.14% 56.59% R+17.5 R
124 37.53% 61.16% R+23.6 38.63% 56.17% R+17.5 R
Total 44.09% 54.56% R+10.5 40.67% 54.94% R+14.3 -
Source: Daily Kos

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  2. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  3. South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-15(a)," accessed January 15, 2014
  4. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Political Party," accessed October 24, 2013
  5. South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-15(a)," accessed January 15, 2014
  6. 6.0 6.1 South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-70," accessed January 15, 2014
  7. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Petition," accessed October 24, 2013
  8. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Petition," accessed October 24, 2013
  9. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Write-in Candidates," accessed October 24, 2013
  10. South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-210," accessed January 15, 2014
  11. South Carolina Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
  12. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  13. South Carolina Constitution, "Article III, Section 10," accessed November 1, 2021
  14. The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  15. Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  16. Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  17. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  18. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017

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