2014 South Carolina elections

← 2012 November 4, 2014 2016 →

Elections in South Carolina
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A general election was held in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina on November 4, 2014. All of South Carolina's executive officers were up for election, all of the seats in the General Assembly's House of Representatives, bothUnited States Senate seats, and all of South Carolina's seven seats in theUnited States House of Representatives.

Primary elections were held on June 10, 2014, and primary runoffs were held on June 24.

All 124 seats in the state House were up for election. Both major parties maintained their seat share, with the Republicans holding 78 seats and the Democrats holding 46.

IncumbentRepublicanGovernorNikki Haley ran for re-election to a second term.^[1]

Democratic state senatorVincent Sheheen, the nomineein 2010 ran again.^[2]

Republican-turned-IndependentTom Ervin, an attorney, former state representative and former circuit court judge ran, but withdrew in the final week and endorsed Sheheen.^[3] Other candidates included Libertarian businessman Steve French;^[4] and former NFL player Morgan Bruce Reeves of theUnited Citizens Party.^[5] andCharels Green (better known as Angry Grandpa) a semi famous YouTuber

Haley won re-election.

This was the last election in which thelieutenant governor was elected separately from the governor. RepublicanKen Ard, who was elected in 2010, resigned the office in March 2012 while under investigation for ethics charges. He was succeeded by a fellow Republican,President pro tempore of theSouth Carolina SenateGlenn F. McConnell. McConnell had planned to run, but withdrew from the race in January 2014^[6] and was announced as the next president of theCollege of Charleston in March, a position he took up in June.^[7]

The state constitution requires that the Senate President pro tempore become lieutenant governor in the event of a vacancy but McConnell's successor as president pro tempore, Republican state senatorJohn E. Courson, expressed no desire to give up his Senate seat to serve as lieutenant governor for six months. He went as far as resigning as president pro tempore, to avoid becoming lieutenant governor, a position widely regarded as one of the weakest in the state. There was much confusion as to what would happen next, with McConnell saying he would delay his resignation so as not to leave the state "in a constitutional crisis" and Courson and Senate Judiciary Committee ChairmanLarry A. Martin saying that they knew of no Senator who would want to become lieutenant governor for six months.^[8] The dispute was finally ended when DemocratYancey McGill agreed to become Senate President pro tempore, and then lieutenant governor. After he ascended to that office, RepublicanHugh K. Leatherman Sr. became the new Senate President pro tempore.^[9]

Businessman Mike Campbell, who lost the runoff for lieutenant governor in 2010, businessman Pat McKinney, former attorney general of South Carolina and candidate for governorin 2010Henry McMaster and minister Ray Moore ran for the Republican nomination.^[10]

As no candidate won a majority of the vote, a runoff was held. A recount had been scheduled to take place as the difference between second-placed Pat McKinney and third-placed Mike Campbell was only 0.41%, but McKinney withdrew from the race, citing personal reasons.^[12] Campbell thus faced first-placed Henry McMaster in the runoff.

State RepresentativeBakari Sellers ran for the Democrats.^[14] McMaster won the general election.

Incumbent Republican attorney generalAlan Wilson ran for re-election to a second term in office.

2014 South Carolina Attorney General election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Candidate Alan Wilson Parnell Diggs Party Republican Democratic popular vote 738,434 486,058 Percentage 60.26% 39.67%

County results Wilson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Diggs:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Attorney, President of theNational Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and candidate forSouth Carolina's 7th congressional district in2012 Parnell Diggs ran as the Democratic nominee. Wilson defeated him and won re-election.

Incumbent RepublicanSecretary of StateMark Hammond ran for re-election to a fourth term in office.

2014 South Carolina Secretary of State election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Candidate Mark Hammond Ginny Deerin Party Republican Democratic popular vote 730,739 496,344 Percentage 59.41% 40.42%

County results Hammond:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Deerin:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Nonprofit consultant Ginny Deerin ran as the Democratic nominee. She was endorsed by theClub for Growth, a conservative political organization that usually supports Republicans. She was the first ever Democrat running for statewide office to have been endorsed by them.^[16] However, Hammond still won re-election.

Incumbent Republican TreasurerCurtis M. Loftis Jr. ran for re-election to a second term in office.^[17]

2014 South Carolina Treasurer election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Candidate Curtis Loftis Party Republican Write-ins popular vote 857,526 10,819 Percentage 98.75% 1.25%

County results Loftis:     90-100%

Brian Adams ran against Loftis Jr. in the Republican primary.

No Democrat filed to run for the office. Loftis won re-election.

Incumbent RepublicanRichard Eckstrom ran for re-election to a fourth term in office.

2014 South Carolina Comptroller General election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Candidate Richard Eckstrom Kyle Herbert Party Republican Democratic popular vote 728,549 489,066 Percentage 59.80% 40.14%

County results Eckstrom:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Herbert:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Eckstrom was challenged in the Republican primary by Robert D. Shelley, but Shelley withdrew.

Kyle Herbert was the Democratic nominee. Eckstrom won re-election.

Incumbent RepublicanSuperintendent of EducationMick Zais did not run for re-election to a second term in office.^[18]

2014 South Carolina Superintendent of Education election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Candidate Molly Spearman Tom Thompson Party Republican Democratic popular vote 699,081 476,358 Percentage 56.97% 38.82%

County results Spearman:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Thompson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Lee Atwater's widow Sally Atwater, Anderson County School Board member Gary Burgess,South Carolina Department of Education official Meka Bosket Childs, Amy Cofield, candidate for the State House in 2010 Sheri Few, Don Jordan, Charleston County School Board member and candidate forSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district in2013 Elizabeth Moffly and former state representative Molly Mitchell Spearman ran for the Republican nomination.

As no candidate won a majority, a runoff was held between the top two finishers, Molly Mitchell Spearman and Sally Atwater. Atwater was considered to be the frontrunner,^[19] until she called conservative talk show host Russ Cassell onNews Radio WORD to talk about her candidacy. In the "awkward", "evasive" and "awful, incomprehensible, it-should-force-her-to-drop-out-of-the-race" interview, she seemed unable to give answers to basic questions about sex education and the teaching of evolution, to Cassell's amazement. After Atwater hung up, Cassell concluded: "Folks, I don't want to be brutal, I don't want to be mean. What you have just heard is an example of a person running for public office on name recognition only, who is clueless." Atwater subsequently apologized for her performance and the interview, which was uploaded toYouTube, went viral.^{[20][21][22][23][24]} Atwater subsequently declined to debate Spearman before the runoff, with a spokesman for Spearman saying that "given [Atwater's] debate performance in the primary and her recent radio interview on WORD-FM, we can understand why she has made this political calculation.^[25] Atwater was also the subject of a lawsuit alleging that as a teacher she "routinely harassed, physically assaulted, and psychologically tormented" a disabled student.^[26] Atwater's campaign dismissed the lawsuit as "baseless and frivolous".^[27]

South Carolina Department of Education official Montrio M. Belton Sr., Sheila C. Gallagher, State Representative Jerry Govan and Tom Thompson ran for the Democratic nomination.

As no candidate won a majority, a runoff was held between the top two finishers, Sheila C. Gallagher and Tom Thompson.

Ed Murray ran as the American Party nominee. Spearman won the general election.

Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers, who was appointed to the position in September 2004, ran for re-election to a third full term in office.

Joe Farmer ran against Weathers in the Republican primary.

Emile DeFelice of the American Party and David Edmond of theUnited Citizens Party also ran. No Democrat filed to run for the office. Weathers won re-election.

Incumbent RepublicanAdjutant General Robert E. Livingston Jr. ran for re-election to a second term in office.

James Breazeale ran against Livingston Jr. in the Republican primary.

No Democrat filed to run for the office. Livigston won re-election. Because South Carolina voters approved Amendment 2 in the 2014 general election, this was the last time that the adjutant general was popularly elected. Because South Carolina was the only state in the union to elect its adjutant general, this was the final time that a state adjutant general stood for election in the United States, barring future state constitutional changes.

Regularly scheduled election

Incumbent Republican senatorLindsey Graham is running for re-election to a third term in office.^[30] He faced six challengers in the Republican primary: pastor and businessman Det Bowers,^[31] State SenatorLee Bright,^[32] businessman and candidate forSouth Carolina's 3rd congressional district in2010 Richard Cash,^[33] attorney,Lieutenant Colonel in theUnited States Army Reserve and candidate forlieutenant governor in2010 Bill Connor,^[34] attorney Benjamin Dunn^[35] and businesswoman and authorNancy Mace.^[32] Graham won the primary with 56% of the vote, negating the need for a runoff.

State SenatorBrad Hutto defeated entrepreneurJay Stamper in the Democratic primary.^[36]

Former Republican state treasurerThomas Ravenel is running as an independent.^[37] Libertarian Victor Kocher^[10][38] is also running.

Special election

Incumbent Republican senatorTim Scott, who was appointed to the office in January 2013 afterJim DeMint resigned, is running for election to the remaining part of the term. The seat will be up for election to a six-year term in 2016.

Scott defeated Randall Young in the Republican primary.^[10]

Richland County CouncilwomanJoyce Dickerson^[39] defeated formerYork County Councilman Sidney Moore^[40] and attorney and candidate forSouth Carolina's 7th congressional district in2012 Harry Pavilack^[41] for the Democratic nomination.

Independents Brandon Armstrong, a painting contractor,^[42] and Jill Bossi, former Vice President of theAmerican Red Cross,^[43] are also running.

All of South Carolina's seven seats in theUnited States House of Representatives will be up for election in 2014.

Several advisory questions were placed on the primary election ballots to advise the major state parties on the positions of their membership on major policy questions. In the general election, voters also voted on two constitutional amendments. All passed with heavy majorities.

Democratic Advisory Question One asked primary voters whether each state, rather than Congress, should determine whether to allow and how to regulate online gaming.

Democratic Question 1

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	89,365	72.36
No	34,131	27.64
Total votes	123,496	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,836,470	4.35
Source:– Official Results

Democratic Advisory Question Two asked whether gaming laws should be "modified" to fund transportation needs in the state, rather than tax increases.

Democratic Question 2

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	99,667	80.50
No	24,143	19.50
Total votes	123,810	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,836,470	4.36
Source:– Official Results

Democratic Advisory Question Three asked whether medical marijuana should be legalized for the treatment of "severe, chronic illnesses."

Democratic Question 3

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	94,961	75.29
No	31,172	24.71
Total votes	126,133	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,836,470	4.45
Source:– Official Results

Republican Question 1 asked whether the "privileges and immunities" of South Carolina citizens under the state constitution should be extended to unborn fetuses.

Republican Question 1

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	240,453	78.65
No	65,273	21.35
Total votes	305,726	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,836,470	10.78
Source:– Official Results

Republican Question 2 asked whether the state income tax should be reduced by 1.4% a year until it no longer exists.

Republican Question 2

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	245,441	79.86
No	61,908	20.14
Total votes	307,349	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,836,470	10.84
Source:– Official Results

In the general election, voters voted on two amendments.

Amendment One amended the state's constitution to allow non-profit organizations to hold raffles for fundraising purposes. It passed.

Amendment 1

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	989,991	82.72
No	206,862	17.28
Total votes	1,196,853	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,881,052	41.54
Source:– Official Results

Amendment Two amended the state's constitution to make the adjutant general appointed by the governor, rather than popularly elected. It passed.

Amendment 2

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	666,963	56.38
No	515,970	43.62
Total votes	1,182,933	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	2,881,052	41.06
Source:– Official Results

• 2014 South Carolina elections
• 2014 elections in the United States by state

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