UPDATED, Noon, 11/6/24 | After a long and often bitter year of bruising partisan combat, South Carolinians overwhelmingly voted to stay the conservative course Tuesday, handing Republican candidates decisive victories in federal and state races up and down the ballot.
With 96% of the statewide vote in, former GOP President Donald Trump won the state 58%-40% over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on his way to a national victory in the presidential race. Trump nabbed almost 1.5 million votes in the Palmetto State – over 400,000 more votes than Harris tallied. In 2020, Trump beat President Joe Biden in South Carolina voting by a narrower 12% margin.
“Democrats tried everything to stop President Trump,” SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement. “The American People saw through the lies and decided to put our country back into the hands of a real leader, President Donald J. Trump.”
Also winning easily statewide was a one-word change to the state constitution clarifying that “only” citizens can vote in S.C. elections, which voters supported 86%-14%.
In the Lowcountry’s 1st Congressional District, two-term GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace got more than 227,000 votes to cruise to a 58%-42% win over Democratic challenger Michael B. Moore.
In other congressional races around the state, Republican incumbent U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson (S.C.-2), William Timmons (S.C.-4), Ralph Norman (S.C.-5) and Russell Fry (S.C.-7) were all reelected by double digits – as was veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of the 6th district. In the state’s 3rd district in the northwest part of the state, Republican Sheri Biggs defeated Democrat Byron L. Best 71%-26% to replace retiring GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan.
Mace, whose seat was once thought to be the most competitive in the state, said it was time to “get back to work” in a victory statement.
“When I think about the world my children will inherit, I aim to be a giant, standing tall to inspire the next generation to do more than any of us could ever imagine,” Mace said. “While I will seek common ground, I will never compromise my values or my duty to the people of South Carolina.”
GOP supermajorities in S.C. House and Senate
As voting began Tuesday, Republicans held a supermajority – that is, enough votes to pass special legislation requiring a two-thirds majority – in the S.C. House, but were one vote shy in the Senate.
After voting was over, the GOP had supermajorities in both chambers.
In the House, Republicans successfully defended the three long-time Democratic seats they picked up in 2022, which Democrats wanted to flip back.
But the real action was in the Senate, where four once-secure blue seats turned red, though two of those victories were close enough to trigger automatic recounts before certification later this week.
In District 36, Republican Jeff Zell defeated Clarendon County Democratic Sen. Kevin Johnson 51%-49%, while in District 39, Republican Tom Fernandez defeated Orangeburg County Democratic Sen. Vernon Stephens 51%-49%.
The two races that will require recounts are Republican J.D. Chaplin’s 287 vote victory over Darlington County Democratic Sen. Gerald Malloy in District 29, and a 32-vote win by Republican challenger Everett Stubbs over Fairfield County Democratic Sen. Mike Fanning in District 17.
Local legislative races
In Charleston-area state legislative races:
- Democratic candidate Ed Sutton defeated Libertarian Kendal Ludden 73%-26% in the newly-drawn Senate 20 centered on West Ashley.
- Republican S.C. Rep. Matt Leber beat Democratic candidate Rita Adkins 57%-42% to win the Senate seat in District 41.
- Incumbent Senate 43 GOP Sen. Chip Campsen beat back a challenge by Democratic candidate Julie Cofer Hussey 61%-39%.
- Incumbent House 15 Democratic Rep. J.A. Moore defeated Republican challenger Carlton Walker 56%-44%.
- House 80 Republican Rep. Kathy Landing retained her seat over Democratic challenger Donna Brown Newton 65%-35%.
- House 110 GOP Rep. Tom Hartnett beat Democratic challenger John Moffett 56%-44%.
- Incumbent House 112 Republican Rep. Joe Bustos defeated Democratic candidate Peter Brennan 61%-39%.
- Longtime House 111 Democratic Rep. Wendell Gilliard defeated Libertarian Joe Jernigan 83%-17%.
- House 114 GOP Rep. Gary Brewer beat Democratic candidate Adrienne Lett 61%-39%.
- Incumbent House 115 Democratic Rep. Spencer Wetmore won over Republican J. Warren Sloane by a 52%-48% margin.
- Newcomer House 116 Republican James Teeple defeated Democratic candidate Charlie Murray by a two-point margin to replace Leber.
- Longtime Democratic incumbent Leon Stavrinakis of House 119 beat GOP challenger Brendan R. Magee 55%-45%.
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