GOP holds onto S.C. constitutional offices, Wilson wins

By Jack O’Toole, Statehouse Bureau | For the fifth time in a row, Republican candidates swept the S.C.’s statewide constitutional offices Tuesday, though with dramatically smaller majorities than they’ve been accustomed to in recent years thanks to a blue wave that tightened races everywhere.

Here’s a look at what happened:

Secretary of State: In a race that garnered little attention, six-term incumbent Republican Mark Hammond defeated Democratic challenger James Belton by a 53% to 47% margin.

State Treasurer: Despite a state accounting scandal that resulted in an S.C. Senate vote to remove him from office, longtime GOP Treasurer Curtis Loftis held off Democratic nominee Vincent Coe by a 53% to 47% margin.

Attorney General: In the seat opened up by Wilson’s gubernatorial bid, Republican Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo secured a 52-48 win against Lowcountry Democratic attorney Richard Hricik.

Comptroller General: In the fight for this open seat, Republican businessman Mike Burkhold defeated Democratic CPA Tiffany Boozer by a 52%-48% margin.

State Superintendent of Education: Following a first term that made her a political lightning rod for some, incumbent Ellen Weaver beat North Charleston educator Sylvia Wright 51% to 48%, with United Citizens Party candidate Baba Amin Ojuok getting under 1% of the vote.

Commissioner of Agriculture: In this open seat, Republican Cody Simpson won his race over Democratic nominee DeShawn Blanding 52% to 46%, with Libertarian Michael Sullen at 2% and the United Citizens Party’s Chris Nelums under 1%.

Wilson wins S.C. governor’s race

Four-term Republican State Attorney General Alan Wilson notched a closer-than-expected victory Tuesday night over Richland County Democratic S.C. Rep. Jermaine Johnson in a South Carolina governor’s race that saw a record non-presidential turnout of about two million voters.

Final uncertified numbers showed Wilson and his lieutenant governor running mate, Florence County Sen. Mike Reichenbach, defeating Johnson and Charleston clean energy executive Sam Skardon by a 52%-47% margin.

In a victory statement, Wilson congratulated Johnson on a well-run race and said he was “deeply humbled and grateful for the trust the people of South Carolina have placed in me.”

“Now it’s time to turn that vision into action, bring our state together, and deliver the results South Carolinians deserve,” Wilson said. “The campaign may be over, but our work is just beginning. God bless South Carolina.”

Candidates representing two third-party tickets — the United Citizens Party’s Michael Addison and Candace Brewer, and the Green Party’s Walid Hakim and Arnold E. Karr — scored less than 1% each.

Johnson, a charismatic campaigner whose election-night performance defied polling that appeared to show him down by double digits heading into election day, conceded the race just after 11 p.m.

“We didn’t just build a campaign,” Johnson said in a social media post. “We built proof that a New S.C. is possible when every single person decides they count.”

Months of work

For Wilson, the win came at the end of a 16-month effort that saw him emerge from a crowded seven-person Republican primary field to force Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, then running with President Donald Trump’s “complete and total” endorsement, into a June 23 runoff.

But with polls showing Wilson pulling away during the two-week runoff sprint, Trump hedged his Evette bet in the closing days of the race by offering a rare dual endorsement of both candidates, setting the stage for Wilson’s nearly 40-point victory.

The momentum from that victory then carried into the fall campaign, with Wilson outraising and outspending his Democratic opponent by more than 2-1 through Oct. 15.

Issues that divided the candidates during the race included Medicaid expansion, which Johnson supported, and casino gambling, which Wilson said he would oppose even if voters endorsed it in a referendum.

Wilson will be sworn in as the state’s 58th governor on Jan. 13, succeeding retiring 10-year incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster.

Statehouse bureau chief Jack O’Toole contributed to this report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com