10-vote margin leads to recount in S.C. House 50 Democratic primary; Scott is winner
Election between Scott, Oden will be held June 3
After the S.C. House of Representatives District 50 Democratic Primary Election on Tuesday, April 1, a recount was necessary because of a slim difference in votes between the two candidates. Initially, candidate Keishan Scott won over competitor Carl Whetsel by 10 votes.
South Carolina law requires an automatic recount "whenever the difference between the number of votes received by a candidate who has been declared nominated for an office in a primary election ... shall be not more than one percent of the total votes which were cast for such office therein" and in several other scenarios, according to the 2024 South Carolina Code of Laws and Justia U.S. Law.
The initial 10-vote difference fell within that 1% margin.
The recount maintained Scott as the winner Friday afternoon, and he will go up against Republican Bill Oden on June 3 in a special election.
The unofficial votes available on Tuesday, April 1, saw Scott as the winner by 10 votes. Scott was reported to have secured 1,435, or 50.17%, of votes, while Whetsel received 1,425, or 49.83%, of votes. After the recount, however, Scott gained one more vote in Sumter County. The votes remained unchanged in Kershaw and Lee counties.
Lee County garnered the largest number of voters with a majority of votes being for Whetsel, according to the results released Tuesday night. Whetsel obtained 1,291, or 57.25%, of votes, while Scott secured 964, or 42.75%, of Lee votes.
Sumter County's votes reflected a majority of support for Scott with 368, or 80.17%, of votes going to him and 91, or 19.87%, of votes going to Whetsel. Sumter initially reported Scott having earned 367, or 80.13%, of the votes.
Kershaw County followed suit with 104, or 70.75%, of votes for Scott and 43, or 29.25%, of votes going to Whetsel.
Votes were to be certified the day of the recount on Friday and will not require a certification hearing.
The special election is taking place after former Rep. Will Wheeler resigned in January to seek a 12th Circuit Court judge seat, which by law requires he be out of the General Assembly for at least one year.