2018 South Carolina elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of South Carolina on November 6, 2018. All of South Carolina's executive officers were up for election as well as all of South Carolina's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives.

United States Congress

All of South Carolina's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2018.

Governor and lieutenant governor

Beginning with the 2018 gubernatorial election, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor were elected jointly as a ticket instead of being elected separately as in prior years.^[1]

Former incumbent Republican governor Nikki Haley was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third consecutive term. Haley was selected as United States Ambassador to the United Nations in the Donald Trump administration.^[2] Haley's nomination was confirmed.^[3] Former lieutenant governor Henry McMaster became governor on January 24, 2017, for the remainder of the term.^[4]

2018 South Carolina gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Henry McMaster (incumbent)	921,342	53.96%	−1.94%
	Democratic	James Smith	784,182	45.92%	+4.50%
	Write-in		2,045	0.12%	+0.05%
Total votes			1,707,569	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican attorney general Alan Wilson won for re-election to a third term.^[5]^[6]

Final results by county:

Wilson

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

Anastopoulo

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

2018 South Carolina Attorney General election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Alan Wilson (incumbent)	938,032	55.05%
	Democratic	Constance Anastopoulo^[7]	764,806	44.89%
	Write-in		996	0.06%
Total votes			1,703,834	100.00%
	Republican hold

Secretary of state

Incumbent Republican secretary of state Mark Hammond won for re-election to a fifth term in office.^[8] Governing magazine had projected the race as "safe Republican".^[9]^[6]

Final results by county:

Hammond

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

Whittenburg

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

2018 South Carolina Secretary of State election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Hammond (incumbent)	970,576	57.11%
	Democratic	Melvin T Whittenburg	727,952	42.83%
	Write-in		968	0.06%
Total votes			1,699,496	100.00%
	Republican hold

Treasurer

Incumbent Republican Treasurer Curtis Loftis won re-election to a third term in office.^[6]

Final results by county:

Loftis

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

Glenn

50–60%
60–70%
70–80%

2018 South Carolina State Treasurer election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Curtis Loftis (incumbent)	952,233	55.95%
	Democratic	Rosalyn Glenn^[10]	722,977	42.48%
	American	Sarah Work	25,979	1.53%
	Write-in		711	0.04%
Total votes			1,701,900	100.00%
	Republican hold

Comptroller general

Incumbent Republican Richard Eckstrom won re-election to a fifth term in office.^[6]

Final results by county:

Eckstrom

>90%

2018 South Carolina Camptroller General election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Eckstrom (incumbent)	1,136,932	97.76%
	Write-ins	Write-in	26,028	2.24%
Total votes			1,162,960	100.00%
	Republican hold

Superintendent of Education

Incumbent Republican Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman won re-election to a second term.^[6]

Final results by county:

Spearman

>90%

2018 South Carolina Superintendent of Education election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Molly Spearman (incumbent)	998,057	98.14%
	Write-ins	Write-in	18,866	1.86%
Total votes			1,016,923	100.00%
	Republican hold

Commissioner of Agriculture

Final results by county:

Weathers

40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%

Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers, who was appointed to the position in September 2004, won re-election to a fourth full term in office.^[6]

2018 South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hugh Weathers (incumbent)	1,015,366	75.70%
	Green	David Edmond	202,238	15.08%
	United Citizens	Chris Nelums	118,671	8.85%
	Write-in		5,025	0.37%
Total votes			1,341,300	100.00%
	Republican hold

State legislature

All 124 seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. On election day 2018, Republicans controlled 80 seats as compared to the Democrats' 44. Although four seats flipped party, there was no net change in the composition of the state House because Republicans flipped Districts 42 and 97 while Democrats flipped Districts 15 and 117. Republicans maintained their 80-to-44-seat majority in the South Carolina House following the 2018 election.

References

^ "SC voters in favor of governor-lieutenant governor ticket". WBTV. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
^ Haberman, Maggie (November 23, 2016). "Nikki Haley Chosen as U.N. Ambassador". The New York Times. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
^ "Nikki Haley easily confirmed as UN ambassador". CNN. January 24, 2017.
^ Stevens, Matthew (November 23, 2016). "McMaster set to get coveted governor's seat". WACH. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
^ Self, Jamie (February 7, 2018). "Attorney General Wilson says no one has done more to fight SC corruption than he has". The State. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f contact@scytl.com, scytl. "Election Night Reporting". www.enr-scvotes.org. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
^ Anastopoulo ran as both a candidate for the Democratic and Working Families parties. Her vote total is a combination of votes cast for both parties.
^ Brown, Kirk (May 2, 2017). "Rep. Putnam to run for S.C. secretary of state". The Anderson Independent-Mail. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
^ Jacobson, Louis (June 4, 2018). "Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever". Governing. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
^ Glenn ran as both a candidate for the Democratic and Working Families parties. Her vote total is a combination of votes cast for both parties.

External links

Official Attorney General campaign websites

Official Secretary of State campaign websites

Official State Treasurer campaign websites

Official Superintendent of Education campaign websites

Molly Spearman (R) for Superintendent

Official Commissioner of Agriculture campaign websites

Hugh Weathers (R) for Agriculture Commissioner

[1] "SC voters in favor of governor-lieutenant governor ticket". WBTV. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.

[2] Haberman, Maggie (November 23, 2016). "Nikki Haley Chosen as U.N. Ambassador". The New York Times. Retrieved November 28, 2016.

[3] "Nikki Haley easily confirmed as UN ambassador". CNN. January 24, 2017.

[4] Stevens, Matthew (November 23, 2016). "McMaster set to get coveted governor's seat". WACH. Retrieved November 28, 2016.

[5] Self, Jamie (February 7, 2018). "Attorney General Wilson says no one has done more to fight SC corruption than he has". The State. Retrieved April 29, 2018.

[:0-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f contact@scytl.com, scytl. "Election Night Reporting". www.enr-scvotes.org. Retrieved May 19, 2024.

[7] Anastopoulo ran as both a candidate for the Democratic and Working Families parties. Her vote total is a combination of votes cast for both parties.

[putnamtorun-8] Brown, Kirk (May 2, 2017). "Rep. Putnam to run for S.C. secretary of state". The Anderson Independent-Mail. Retrieved June 24, 2017.

[9] Jacobson, Louis (June 4, 2018). "Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever". Governing. Retrieved September 22, 2019.

[10] Glenn ran as both a candidate for the Democratic and Working Families parties. Her vote total is a combination of votes cast for both parties.

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