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SC Primary Runoff Results
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The runoff elections for races in which no candidate received over 50% in the primary were held Tuesday. Six Senate seats and seven House seats were at stake and it was clear that incumbents were not favored this year, as four sitting senators were defeated by their runoff challengers.
In the Senate:
- Senator Larry Martin (R-Pickens) was defeated by Rex Rice. Sen. Martin is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been in the legislature for 37 years. His exit likely means Sen. Luke Rankin (R-Horry) will take over the post of chairman of the powerful committee. The victor, Rex Rice, was one of the strongest advocates for increasing the cigarette tax when he was previously in the House. We feel he will be an advocate for healthcare issues in the Senate.
- Incumbent senator Mike Fair (R-Greenville), who has been in the legislature for over 30 years and serves as chairman of the Senate Corrections and Penology Committee, was ousted by William Timmons.
- One of the most watched primary elections this cycle saw outspoken Senator Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) lose to former State Representative Scott Talley. Sen. Bright was notorious for introducing controversial legislation - including the transgender bathroom bill - and was a target of many big advocacy groups throughout the state.
- One senate democrat also faced a runoff opponent this week. Senator Creighton Coleman (D-Fairfield) lost to Mike Fanning. Sen. Coleman served four terms in the House and two in the Senate. Fanning will face republican Mark Palmer in the general election in November.
- Two open Senate seats also had runoffs. In the seat being left by Senator Cleary (R-Georgetown), Stephen Goldfinch defeated Reese Boyd. Goldfinch is currently a representative from the district. Sandy Senn beat Roy Maybank to take the seat of Senator Thurmond (R-Charleston).
SCHA's political action committee, HAPAC, supported Talley and Goldfinch in their runoffs. We are excited about their primary wins and look forward to having their leadership on healthcare issues in the Senate.
Several open seats in the House made for fewer incumbent losses.
- The only House incumbent on the ballot Tuesday was Rep. Bill Bowers (D-Hampton) who successfully staved off his challenger Curtis Brantley.
- Jay West beat Blake Parker in the republican runoff for the seat left by Mike Gambrell when he moved to the Senate.
- Will Wheeler defeated Tom Drayton for the open seat of retiring Rep. Grady Brown (D-Lee).
- Ivory Thigpen won the democratic runoff against Monica Elkins for Rep. Mia McLeod's (D-Richland) seat, who is running for Senate.
- Bart Blackwell beat K T Ruthven for Rep. Don Wells (R-Aiken) open seat.
- Micah Caskey beat Tem Miles in Lexington County to take retiring Rep. Kenny Bingham's seat.
- William Cogswell Jr. defeated Russell Guerard in the Charleston race to replace retiring Rep. Chip Limehouse.
Some of the primary winners will face an opponent of another party in the general election in November, while others had only intraparty opposition and will be the lone candidate on the ballot in the fall. For more information about election results, how to register to vote, or how to vote, visit www.scvotes.org.
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July 1, 2016
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