The Green Papers: South Carolina 2015 General Election
 
This page is for offices up for election in 2015. Find 2016 elections here.

Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ South Carolina
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
Governor:1 
2010 Census:4,645,975 (1.50% of 309,785,186)
2012, 2016, 2020 Electoral Votes:9(1.67% of 538)
2012-2020 Representatives:7(1.61% of 435)
Capital:Columbia
 

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South Carolina State and Local Government

South Carolina 2016 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats   Republicans


If no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote in the primary, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters.

Voters who voted in a party's primary, can vote only in the runoff of the same party. Voters who did not vote in the primary, may vote in either party's runoff.

The primary is for Democratic and Republican candidates only. Candidates running unopposed for their Party's nomination will not appear on primary ballots.

Voters may not vote in a political party's runoff if they voted in another political party's primary. However, voters who did not vote in either politicial party's primary may vote in either politicial party’s runoff.

A defeated primary candidate may not actively offer or campaign as a write-in candidate for the ensuing election. The use of posters or stickers on the ballot is not permitted. The voting machine provides for a voter to write-in a candidate. Write-in votes are not allowed in primary elections or the election of President or Vice-president.

While the state permits fusion (a candidate may be nominated by multiple parties), if a candidate runs for and looses a primary (of any party), the candidate cannot appear on the November ballot.


The Constitution, Green, Independence, Labor, Libertarian, United Citizens, and Working Families Parties may nominate by convention.

 
           

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 114th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 2 Republican Senator Lindsey Olin Graham
• First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2008, 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2020
 Candidate list
  Candidate Republican     Senator Lindsey Olin Graham
• FEC S0SC00149

Class 3 Republican Senator Timothy E. "Tim" Scott
• Appointed: 2 January 2013 (re: resignation of Senator James W. "Jim" DeMint [Republican]). First elected in a special election: 4 November 2014.
(also served in U.S. House- first elected: 2010; re-elected: 2012)
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list
  Candidate Democratic     Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson
  Candidate Republican     Brandon Christina Armstrong
• FEC S4SC00232
  Candidate Republican     Senator Timothy E. "Tim" Scott
• FEC S4SC00240; 30 Sep 15; Tot $2,763,232; Dsb $1,007,553

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

  Republican Governor Nikki Randhawa Haley
• First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014
• Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
• The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election.
• Open Chair

Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. (Beginning in 2018, the Lieutenant Governor will be elected on same ticket with the Governor.)

  Republican Lieutenant Governor Henry D. McMaster
• First elected: 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

114th U.S. House of Representatives  2-year term. Election Cycle 2016, 2018. No Term Limit. 114th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
6 Republican (6 Undetermined);
1 Democratic (1 Undetermined)

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 1 Republican Congressman Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford, Jr.
• First elected: 1994, re-elected: 1996, 1998. Governor of South Carolina: 2003-2011. Re-elected to Congress: 7 May 2013 in a Special Election (to fill the vacant seat caused by the appointment of Congressman Timothy E. "Tim" Scott to the U.S. Senate).
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Jenny A. Home
• FEC H6SC01151
  Candidate Republican     Congressman Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford, Jr.
• FEC H4SC01073; 30 Sep 15; Tot $279,282; Dsb $45,577

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 2 Republican Congressman Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson
• First Elected 18 December 2001 in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the death of Floyd Spence.
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Congressman Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson
• FEC H2SC02059; 30 Sep 15; Tot $270,444; Dsb $189,978

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 3 Republican Congressman Jeffrey D. "Jeff" Duncan
• First elected: 2010
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Congressman Jeffrey D. "Jeff" Duncan
• FEC H0SC03077; 30 Sep 15; Tot $238,100; Dsb $209,615

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 4 Republican Congressman Harold W. "Trey" Gowdy, III
• First elected: 2010
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Congressman Harold W. "Trey" Gowdy, III
• FEC H0SC04257; 30 Sep 15; Tot $216,988; Dsb $254,549

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 5 Republican Congressman John Michael "Mick" Mulvaney
• First elected: 2010
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Congressman John Michael "Mick" Mulvaney
• FEC H0SC05031; 30 Sep 15; Tot $275,673; Dsb $250,064

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 6 Democratic Congressman James Enos "Jim" Clyburn
• First elected: 1992
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Democratic     Congressman James Enos "Jim" Clyburn
• FEC H2SC02042; 30 Sep 15; Tot $850,431; Dsb $765,545

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 7 Republican Congressman Hugh T. "Tom" Rice, Jr.
• First elected: 2012
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
 Candidate list - 115th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Congressman Hugh T. "Tom" Rice, Jr.
• FEC H2SC07066; 30 Sep 15; Tot $438,598; Dsb $318,583

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Secretary of State John Mark "Mark" Hammond
• First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006, 2010, 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Attorney General Michael Alan "Alan" Wilson
• First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Treasurer  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Treasurer Curtis M. "Curt" Loftis, Jr.
• First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Comptroller General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Comptroller General Richard A. Eckstrom
• First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006, 2010, 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Adjutant General  4 year term, Final Election Cycle: 2002. The South Carolina Constitution was amended in 2015 to provide for the appointment of the Adjutant General by the Governor with advice and consent of the State Senate. The Adjutant General is no longer an elected office.

  Republican Adjutant General Robert E. "Bob" Livingston, Jr.
• First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Commissioner of Agriculture  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Agriculture Commissioner Hugh E. Weathers
• Named Interim Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of South Carolina on 14 September 2004 by Governor Mark Sanford upon the suspension of Republican Agriculture Commissioner Charles "Charlie" Sharpe; first elected: 2006; re-elected: 2010, 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Superintendent of Education  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018

  Republican Education Superintendent Molly Mitchell Spearman
• First elected: 2014
• Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018
 

Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
 • Democratic (affiliates): 1 incumbent, 2 candidates
 • Republican: 17 incumbents, 10 candidates
Major Third Parties
 • Constitution (affiliates)
 • Green (affiliates)
Other Third Parties
 • American
 • Labor
 • Unity
 • Working Families
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
 • Not readily classifiable
 
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.

"Apparently not a candidate" indicates that someone we once listed as a candidate for an elective office will not, in fact, be running for that office (primarily because said candidate is not listed on an official ballot provided by a jurisdiction's election authorities, where that candidate has not previously withdrawn his/her candidacy or otherwise indicated no longer [or even ever] being a candidate for that office).

Primary dates marked "presumably" and polling times marked "reportedly" are based on unofficial or estimated data (especially as regards local variations from a jurisdictionwide statutory and/or regulatory standard) and are, thereby, subject to change.

"FEC" indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary.

When available, we post each candidate's FEC identification number, the date of their most recently filed Report of Receipts and Disbursements, their "Tot" [Total Receipts (contributions received or what came in: FEC Form 3, Line 16, Column B)] and their "Dsb" [Total Disbursements (expenditures or what was spent: FEC Form 3, Line 23, Column B)]. A link is provided to the Federal Election Commission's Summary Report for those who might wish to explore the details.

If a candidate raises or spends $5,000 or less, he or she is not subject to FEC reporting requirements.


Links Links to other web sites

Constitution   Links to State Constitutions
 • South Carolina Code of Laws
Election Authority
 • South Carolina State Election Commission
 • South Carolina's Voter Information Resource
Legislature   Links to State Legislatures
 • South Carolina Legislature
Democratic
 • South Carolina Democratic Party
 • South Carolina House Democratic Caucus
 • South Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus
Republican
 • South Carolina Republican Party
 • The South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus
Third Party
 • Alliance Party formerly called The American Party of South Carolina
 • Labor Party
 • South Carolina Green Party
 • South Carolina Labor Party
 • South Carolina Working Families Party
 • The Constitution Party of South Carolina
 • The Unity Party of South Carolina
Media & others
 • FITSNews - Sic Willie
 • Greenville Magazine
 • Lexington County Chronicle
 • Politics1.com - South Carolina
 • South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL is a non-partisan, non-sectarian pro-life organization and is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee)
 • Spartanburg Herald-Journal
 • Statehouse Report - Charleston
 • The Greenville News
 • The Item - Sumter
 • The Lancaster News
 • The News & Reporter - Chester County
 • The Post and Courier - Charleston
 • The Times and Democrat - Orangeburg
 • The Union Daily Times
 • WCSC TV - CBS - Charleston
 • WIS TV - NBC - Columbia
 • WLTX TV - CBS - Columbia

 


  2015 General Election Home  
 
2015 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
  Alphabetically   --   Alphabetically with Filing Deadlines  
  Chronologically   --   Chronologically with Filing Deadlines  
  Poll Closing Times  
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General Election Poll Closing Times
  Alphabetically   --   Chronologically  
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  Polling Hours  
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  Governors     Senate     House  
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  Senators by 'Class'  
  Governors by election 'cycle'  
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with multiple incumbents running for them  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2015 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  Statewide Political Party Strength going into the 2014 Midterm Election  
  Statewide Political Party Strength coming out of the 2014 Midterm Elections  
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  Relative Political Party Strength by SECTION and Region going into the 2014 Midterm Election  
  Relative Political Party Strength by SECTION and Region coming out of the 2014 Elections  
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  Comparative Political Party Predominance in each State, 2000 thru 2014  
2014 CONGRESSIONAL Political Party Breakdown by SECTION and Region
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History
  Political Party Floor Leaders in the Congress of the United States  
  Dates of DIRECT PRIMARY Elections re: Major Party Nominations for Statewide and/or Federal Office  
  Length of Terms of Office of STATE Governors throughout American History  
....
  (downloads)