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South Carolina Senate

Coordinates: 33°50′10″N 81°09′49″W / 33.836081°N 81.1637245°W / 33.836081; -81.1637245
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South Carolina State Senate
South Carolina General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Seal of the South Carolina Senate
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 9, 2024
Leadership
Thomas C. Alexander (R)
since December 6, 2021
Majority Leader
A. Shane Massey (R)
since April 6, 2016
Minority Leader
Brad Hutto (D)
since November 17, 2020
Clerk
Jeffrey S. Gossett
since January 9, 2001
Assistant Clerk
Kenneth M. Moffitt
since September 2, 2014
Reading Clerk
John O. Wienges
since January 11, 1994
Sergeant at Arms
"Chuck" D. Williams, Jr.
since December 6, 2016
Structure
Seats46
Composition of the South Carolina Senate
Political groups
Majority
  •   Republican (30)

Minority

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle III, South Carolina Constitution
Salary$10,400/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 3, 2020
(46 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(46 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
South Carolina State House
Columbia, South Carolina
Website
South Carolina Senate
Rules
Rules of the Senate of South Carolina
A diagram of the Senate Chamber, 1917

The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the same time as United States presidential elections.

The South Carolina Constitution of 1895 provided for each county to elect one senator for a four-year term. The election of senators was staggered so that half of the state Senate was elected every two years. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1964 for the case Reynolds v. Sims, the state Senate was reapportioned in 1966 as a temporary measure into 27 districts with 50 members for two-year terms. In 1967, the state Senate was again reapportioned, this time into 20 districts with 46 members for four-year terms. The number of districts was reduced to 16 in 1972 and in 1984, they were eliminated with the creation of single member districts.

The annual session of the General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol Building in Columbia on the second Tuesday of January of each year. However, after convening, either the House or the Senate may call for itself a 30-day recess by a majority vote, or a longer recess by a two-thirds vote.[1]

Composition

[edit]
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Independent Vacant
Start of 2023 Session 30 15 1 46 0
Current 30 15 1 46 0
Latest voting share 65% 33% 2%

Members of the South Carolina Senate

[edit]

Except as noted, all senators were elected in November 2020 and terms began on January 12, 2021. All terms expire in January 2025.

District Representative Party Residence First Elected
1 Thomas C. Alexander, president Republican Walhalla 1994*
2 Rex Rice Republican Easley 2016
3 Richard Cash Republican Powdersville 2017*
4 Michael Gambrell Republican Honea Path 2016*
5 Tom Corbin Republican Travelers Rest 2012
6 Dwight Loftis Republican Greenville 2019*
7 Karl B. Allen Democratic Greenville 2012
8 Ross Turner Republican Greenville 2012
9 Danny Verdin Republican Laurens 2000
10 Billy Garrett Republican Greenwood 2020
11 Josh Kimbrell Republican Inman 2020
12 Scott Talley Republican Spartanburg 2016
13 Shane Martin Republican Spartanburg 2008
14 Harvey S. Peeler Jr. Republican Gaffney 1980
15 Wes Climer Republican Rock Hill 2016
16 Michael Johnson Republican Tega Cay 2020
17 Mike Fanning Democratic Great Falls 2016
18 Ronnie Cromer Republican Prosperity 2003*
19 Tameika Isaac Devine Democratic Columbia 2024*
20 Dick Harpootlian Democratic Columbia 2018*
21 Darrell Jackson Democratic Hopkins 1992
22 Mia McLeod Independent[2] Columbia 2016
23 Katrina Shealy Republican Lexington 2012
24 Tom Young Jr. Republican Aiken 2012
25 A. Shane Massey Republican Edgefield 2007*
26 Nikki G. Setzler Democratic West Columbia 1976
27 Penry Gustafson Republican Camden 2020
28 Greg Hembree Republican North Myrtle Beach 2012
29 Gerald Malloy Democratic Hartsville 2002*
30 Kent M. Williams Democratic Marion 2004
31 Mike Reichenbach Republican Florence 2022*
32 Ronnie A. Sabb Democratic Greeleyville 2014*
33 Luke A. Rankin Republican Myrtle Beach 1992
34 Stephen Goldfinch Republican Murrells Inlet 2016
35 Thomas McElveen Democratic Sumter 2012
36 Kevin L. Johnson Democratic Manning 2012
37 Larry Grooms Republican Bonneau 1997*
38 Sean Bennett Republican Summerville 2012
39 Vernon Stephens Democratic Bowman 2020
40 Brad Hutto Democratic Orangeburg 1996*
41 Sandy Senn Republican Charleston 2016
42 Deon Tedder Democratic Charleston 2023*
43 Chip Campsen Republican Isle of Palms 2004
44 Brian Adams Republican Goose Creek 2020
45 Margie Bright Matthews Democratic Charleston 2015*
46 Tom Davis Republican Beaufort 2008
*Senator was first elected in a special election

Composition of the Senate over time

[edit]
Year Democratic
Party
Republican
Party
Independent
/ Other

Majority
1865 0 0 31 31
1868 6[a] 25 0 19
1870 5 26 1 21
1872 8 25 0 17
1874 0 26 7[b] 19
1876 15 18 0 3
1878 28 5 0 23
1880 33 2 0 31
1882 33 2 0 31
1884 32 3 0 29
1886 33 2 0 31
1888 35 0 0 35
1890 32 3 0 29
1892 36 0 0 36
1894 29 0 7[c] 22
1896 36 0 0 36
1898–
1908
41 0 0 41
1910–
1916
44 0 0 44
1918–
1964
46 0 0 46
1966 43 6 1 37
1968 47 3 0 44
1970 44 2 0 42
1972 43 3 0 40
1976 42 4 0 38
1980 39 7 0 32
1984 36 10 0 26
1988 35 11 0 24
1992 30 16 0 14
1996 25 21 0 4
2000 22[d] 24[d] 0 2
2004 20 26[e] 0 6
2008 19 27 0 8
2012 18 28 0 10
2016 18 28 0 10
2020[3] 15[f] 30 1 14
  1. ^ The election of a Democrat from Abbeville was declared void and the seat remained vacant.
  2. ^ All 7 were members of the Conservative Party of South Carolina.
  3. ^ All 7 were Independent Democrats.
  4. ^ a b After the 2000 elections, the Senate was evenly split between 23 Democrats and 23 Republicans. A Democrat, J. Verne Smith of Greer, switched to the Republicans to break the tie.
  5. ^ Republicans gained an additional seat in a 2007 special election.
  6. ^ One independent, Mia McLeod, was formerly a member of the Democratic Party until January 10, 2023.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ARTICLE 3. Legislative Department., SECTION 9. Sessions of General Assembly". 2010 South Carolina Constitution – Unannotated. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  2. ^ McLeod, Mia. "New Year, New Direction!". miaforsenate. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  3. ^ "South Carolina Election Results". The New York Times. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  • Dubin, Michael J. (2007) Party affiliations in the state legislatures : a year by year summary, 1796–2006.
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33°50′10″N 81°09′49″W / 33.836081°N 81.1637245°W / 33.836081; -81.1637245