2014 South Carolina elections

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.

Incumbent Republican Governor Nikki Haley ran for re-election to a second term.^[1]

Democratic state senator Vincent Sheheen, the nominee in 2010 ran again.^[2]

Republican-turned-Independent Tom 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 the United Citizens Party.^[5] and Charels Green (better known as Angry Grandpa) a semi famous YouTuber

Haley won re-election.

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

2014 South Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election

← 2010 2018 →

Nominee Henry McMaster Bakari Sellers Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 726,821 508,807 Percentage 58.7% 41.1%

County results McMaster:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Sellers:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Lieutenant Governor before election Yancey McGill Democratic Elected Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster Republican

Close

This was the last election in which the lieutenant governor was elected separately from the governor. Republican Ken 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 the South Carolina Senate Glenn F. McConnell. McConnell had planned to run, but withdrew from the race in January 2014^[6] and was announced as the next president of the College 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 senator John 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 Chairman Larry 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 Democrat Yancey McGill agreed to become Senate President pro tempore, and then lieutenant governor. After he ascended to that office, Republican Hugh 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 governor in 2010 Henry 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 Representative Bakari Sellers ran for the Democrats.^[14] McMaster won the general election.

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

Quick facts Candidate, Party ...

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%

Close

Attorney, President of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and candidate for South Carolina's 7th congressional district in 2012 Parnell Diggs ran as the Democratic nominee. Wilson defeated him and won re-election.

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Mark Hammond ran for re-election to a fourth term in office.

Quick facts Candidate, Party ...

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%

Close

Nonprofit consultant Ginny Deerin ran as the Democratic nominee. She was endorsed by the Club 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 Treasurer Curtis M. Loftis Jr. ran for re-election to a second term in office.^[17]

Quick facts Candidate, Party ...

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%

Close

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

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

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

Quick facts Candidate, Party ...

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%

Close

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 Republican Superintendent of Education Mick Zais did not run for re-election to a second term in office.^[18]

Quick facts Candidate, Party ...

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:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Thompson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Close

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 for South Carolina's 1st congressional district in 2013 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 on News 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 to YouTube, 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]

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 the United Citizens Party also ran. No Democrat filed to run for the office. Weathers won re-election.

Incumbent Republican Adjutant 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 senator Lindsey 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 Senator Lee Bright,^[32] businessman and candidate for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district in 2010 Richard Cash,^[33] attorney, Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010 Bill Connor,^[34] attorney Benjamin Dunn^[35] and businesswoman and author Nancy Mace.^[32] Graham won the primary with 56% of the vote, negating the need for a runoff.

State Senator Brad Hutto defeated entrepreneur Jay Stamper in the Democratic primary.^[36]

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

Special election

Incumbent Republican senator Tim Scott, who was appointed to the office in January 2013 after Jim 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 Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson^[39] defeated former York County Councilman Sidney Moore^[40] and attorney and candidate for South Carolina's 7th congressional district in 2012 Harry Pavilack^[41] for the Democratic nomination.

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

All of South Carolina's seven seats in the United 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.

Primary Advisory Questions

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Democratic Question 1

Choice		Votes	%
For		89,365	72.36
Against		34,131	27.64
Total		123,496	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,836,470	4.35
Source: – Official Results

Close

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Democratic Question 2

Choice		Votes	%
For		99,667	80.50
Against		24,143	19.50
Total		123,810	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,836,470	4.36
Source: – Official Results

Close

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Democratic Question 3

Choice		Votes	%
For		94,961	75.29
Against		31,172	24.71
Total		126,133	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,836,470	4.45
Source: – Official Results

Close

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Republican Question 1

Choice		Votes	%
For		240,453	78.65
Against		65,273	21.35
Total		305,726	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,836,470	10.78
Source: – Official Results

Close

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Republican Question 2

Choice		Votes	%
For		245,441	79.86
Against		61,908	20.14
Total		307,349	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,836,470	10.84
Source: – Official Results

Close

Constitutional amendments

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.

More information Choice, Votes ...

Amendment 1

Choice		Votes	%
For		989,991	82.72
Against		206,862	17.28
Total		1,196,853	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,881,052	41.54
Source: – Official Results

Close

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

More information Choice, Votes ...

Amendment 2

Choice		Votes	%
For		666,963	56.38
Against		515,970	43.62
Total		1,182,933	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,881,052	41.06
Source: – Official Results

Close