View From the Dome | November 8, 2024

Provided by Copper Dome Strategies, LLC

The long-awaited election finally arrived this past Tuesday as South Carolinians set a new record for voting in the Palmetto State. 76% of the state’s 3.3 million registered voters cast a ballot with more than half taking advantage of the state’s new early voting period. Although there were no state-wide races on the ballot, all 170 members of the General Assembly were up for reelection, along with our seven U.S. congressional districts. A host of local races and referendums also appeared on the ballot. Donald Trump’s decisive 18-point margin of victory in South Carolina in the Presidential contest carried with it some long coattails as the GOP picked up even more seats in the General Assembly and, with it, a new supermajority in the Senate. Also this week, Governor McMaster named a new cabinet agency director.

Appointment

Appointment

On Wednesday, Governor Henry McMaster announced his appointment of Eunice Medina as the next director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). Medina, who currently serves as the chief of staff and deputy director of programs for SCDHHS, will succeed former Director Robert Kerr, who retired last week. Medina has served on the SCDHHS executive management team as the chief of staff and deputy director of programs since June 2021 and brings more than 20 years of experience in Medicaid policy and operations. Before joining SCDHHS, she served as a bureau chief with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, where she managed a team of over 60, overseeing Florida’s 18 Medicaid-managed care plans, and worked with the state’s home and community-based services waiver programs. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the South Carolina Senate. For more information, click here.

Here’s a recap of the elections.

U.S. Congressional Districts

U.S. Congressional Districts

All six incumbent members of Congress easily won reelection;

Nancy Mace (R-SC1);
Joe Wilson (R-SC2);
William Timmons (R-SC4);
Ralph Norman (R-SC5);
Jim Clyburn (D-SC6);
Russell Fry (R-SC7);

In the 3rd congressional district, Republican Sheri Biggs won the seat vacated by incumbent Jeff Duncan, who chose not to run for reelection. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) is up for reelection in 2026 and U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R) is up for reelection in 2028.

State Senate

State Senate

The Republicans will now hold a supermajority in the Senate as four incumbent Democratic Senators were defeated, pending automatic recounts of two races won by less than 1% of the vote total, which include:

Republican J.D. Chaplin defeated 22-year incumbent Gerald Malloy (D-Darlington) though it was by less than 1% (297 votes), which triggers an automatic recount;
Republican Everett Stubbs defeated incumbent Mike Fanning (D-Fairfield) by 32 votes, so an automatic recount is triggered;
Republican Tom Fernandez defeated incumbent Vernon Stephens (D-Orangeburg);
Republican Jeff Zell defeated 12-year incumbent Kevin Johnson (D-Clarendon).

Assuming the recounts hold, there will be just 12 Democrats among 46 senators. Republicans haven’t had a supermajority in the upper chamber since Reconstruction. With it, they will be able to shut down filibusters by the minority party, making legislation easier to pass.

Six races were on the ballot for open seats in the SC Senate due to retirement or the defeat of an incumbent in the June Primary. The new senators are:

Allen Blackmon (R) in Senate District 27 seat (Chesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster) formerly held by Penry Gustafson;
Jeffrey Graham (D) in Senate District 35 seat (Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter) formerly held by Thomas McElveen;
Matt Leber (R) in Senate District 41 (Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester) formerly held by Sandy Senn;
Roger Nutt (R) in Senate District 12 (Greenville & Spartanburg), formerly held by Scott Talley;
Ed Sutton (D) has been elected to represent the new Senate District 20 (Charleston) seat;
Russell Ott (D) in Senate District 26 (Calhoun, Lexington, Richland). Ott, a Calhoun County Democrat who’s been in the state House since 2013, won the seat held for 48 years by retiring Senator Nikki Setzler, the longest-serving senator in state history.

Thirteen new senators, nearly one-fourth of the chamber, will be sworn in at the December Organizational Session.

State House of Representatives

State House of Representatives

Two years after flipping eight seats in the House to gain a supermajority, Republicans flipped one more seat on Tuesday, with Republican Harriet Holman defeating 20-year incumbent Rep. Joe Jefferson from rural Berkeley County. The House will now have 88 Republicans and 36 Democrats. Nineteen new House members will be sworn in at the December Organizational Session.

Freshman Rep. Heather Bauer of Columbia represented a bright spot for Democrats for the second consecutive election. In November 2022, she was the lone flip for Democrats. She easily defeated former Representative Kirkman Finlay in a rematch. For additional election results, visit https://scvotes.gov/.

Constitutional Amendment

Constitutional Amendment

South Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved a measure with 86% supporting an amendment to the state’s constitution to further clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote

Organization Session

Organization Session

The South Carolina House of Representatives will hold Freshman Orientation on November 19 and 20 and the full House organizational session on December 3 and 4. With retirements, resignations and primary losses, 19 new House members will be sworn in. During the organizational session, members will also select their seats in the House chamber and receive their committee assignments from the Speaker of the House. House committees will then meet and elect their chairs. The Senate will organize on December 4. Both chambers will have opportunities for members to pre-file legislation in December before the start of the session in January.