Republicans roll in S.C. except for 1 upset

COLUMBIA - Republicans again swept to election victories across South Carolina on Tuesday, holding on to all seven statewide offices.

But there was a fairly big crack in their electoral wall, as Democrats flipped a U.S. House seat from them for the first time since 1986.

Democrat Joe Cunningham's defeat of Republican state Rep. Katie Arrington in the coastal 1st District means South Carolina's U.S. House delegation now has five Republicans and two Democrats.

Democrats had less luck in statewide races. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster had an easy re-election win. A Democrat hasn't won a statewide race in South Carolina since 2006.

All 124 state House seats were up for re-election. More than half of them, 68, were uncontested. Just 45 races had a Republican facing a Democrat. One incumbent Democrat and one incumbent Republican lost.

The Democrats did flip a state Senate seat for the first time since 2000 as former state Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian won a special election to fill the remainder of the term for Republican Sen. John Courson, who resigned after pleading guilty to converting his campaign money to personal use.

STATEWIDE OFFICES

Along with touting his accomplishments, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson spent campaign time this year explaining his role in an investigation into corruption at the Statehouse.

Wilson defeated Democrat Constance Anastopoulo, even though less than a month before the election, a State Grand Jury report said Wilson impeded an investigation into corruption at the South Carolina Statehouse involving a friend he hired as a political consultant.

Republican Secretary of State Mark Hammond won a fifth term. He was re-elected after primary opponents emphasized that more than a hundred South Carolina laws passed for a decade did not have the state seal, which is one of the secretary of state's duties.

Republican state Treasurer Curtis Loftis won a third term. He has tangled with legislators about investments and how to handle the state retirement system. His opponent was Democrat Rosalyn Glenn, a consultant who helps business and other groups with their financial strategies.

South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers beat minor party candidates David Edmond of the Green Party and Chris Nelums of the United Citizens Party to get a fourth term.

South Carolina Education Superintendent Molly Spearman was running unopposed for a second term after Democratic challenger Israel Romero dropped out of the race in October because an undisclosed felony conviction a decade ago made him ineligible to serve.

Republican Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom is guaranteed a fifth term.

CONGRESS

There was one rematch in the U.S. House races in South Carolina, as Democrat Archie Parnell again lost to U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in the 5th District.

Norman won a special election last year by just 3 percentage points but appeared on his way to a much bigger win in 2018. South Carolina's longest-serving congressman is the delegation's lone Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. He won a 14th term against Republican Gerhard Gressmann in the 6th District, which connects parts of Columbia with parts of Charleston and was drawn to ensure it had a majority of minority voters.

In the 2nd District, Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson won handily over Democrat and Army veteran Sean Carrigan. Wilson hasn't faced a close election since his district was redrawn in 2010. It includes Aiken, Barnwell and Lexington counties as well as parts of Orangeburg and Richland counties.

Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan easily won a fifth term against Democrat Mary Geren in the 3rd District that covers 11 counties in northwest South Carolina.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rice defeated state Rep. Robert Williams in the 7th District. Rice is the only congressman the district which stretches from Darlington to Florence has ever known. Williams was also running to keep his state House seat representing parts of those counties.

There is one new face from South Carolina in the U.S. House. Republican state Sen. William Timmons beat Democrat Brandon Brown in the 4th District, anchored by Greenville and Spartanburg. The seat was opened when Rep. Trey Gowdy decided not to run for re-election.

AMENDMENT

South Carolina voters rejected a state constitutional amendment allowing the governor to appoint the superintendent starting in 2023.

Opponents said the proposal takes power away from the people. Supporters said having the governor appoint the head of schools in South Carolina assures they work as a team.

Voters in South Carolina have already taken the adjutant general and lieutenant governor positions off ballots this decade.