MORNING NEWSBREAK | Incumbent Republican Sen. Sandy Senn of Charleston fell 31 votes short of keeping her seat as hard-right freshman S.C. Rep. Matt Leber of Johns Island received 3,937 primary votes out of 7,843 cast, according to unofficial results. A recount is expected.
Senn is one of five “sister senators” who stood up to the GOP establishment last year over a six-week abortion ban. Of the other four, state Sen. Mia McLeod, a Richland County independent, did not run for reelection; Sen. Penny Gustafson, R-Kershaw, lost a primary battle by an 82-18 percentage margin; and Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, is in a primary runoff with Republican Carlisle Kennedy after getting 40% in a three-way race. The only Democratic “sister senator,” Margie Bright Matthews of Walterboro, will return to the Senate because she has no general election challenger.
Other leading election results:
U.S. House, First District: U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., turned back two Republican challengers in a bitter primary battle. Newcomer Michael B. Moore edged Mount Pleasant attorney Mac Deford in the race’s Democratic primary.
Charleston County Sheriff: Republicans Greg Kitchens and Carl Ritchie will face off in two weeks in a primary runoff to determine who will challenge incumbent Democratic Sheriff Kristin Graziano.
In other recent headlines:
CP NEWS: Craft your reading list for fall’s Charleston Literary Festival. The annual Charleston Literary Festival returns November 1-10 at Dock Street Theatre with a diverse lineup of literary excellence, including two 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners and Oprah’s 2024 Book Club Pick author, Colm Tóibín.
CP FOOD: Celebrate spritz season at the Palmetto Hotel. Every Thursday now through the end of the month, guests can head to the Palmetto Hotel’s lobby bar to try out three different takes on the bubbly beverage.
Runaway Charleston Harbor cargo ship causes over $500K in damages. The runaway container ship that briefly shut down traffic on the Ravenel Bridge last week allegedly caused more than $500,000 in damage, sparking investigations and at least one federal lawsuit.
Charleston’s head resilience officer resigns, city says. Dale Morris, Charleston’s head of resilience and sustainability, announced he will step down from his position Tuesday.
- Earlier CP coverage: Charleston loses official who has been fighting flooding, rising waters
Charleston hopes cleaned drains will reduce flooding in downtown neighborhood. The city of Charleston finished clearing the last part of the Peachtree Street drainage system, which diverts runoff away from a portion of the Wagener Terrace neighborhood in downtown Charleston. Officials hope that clearing the last of the debris will significantly reduce flooding in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, some North Charleston streets are flooded after a busted water pipe.
Charleston Co. summer feeding program to help fight food insecurity. Charleston County’s school district, library system and the Lowcountry Food Bank are offering free meals and snacks for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to fight food insecurity now that students are out of school for the summer.
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