Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Joshua Putnam

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Joshua Putnam
Image of Joshua Putnam
Prior offices
South Carolina House of Representatives District 10
Successor: West Cox

Elections and appointments
Last election

June 12, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

North Greenville University, 2011

Personal
Profession
Business owner
Contact

Joshua Putnam (Republican Party) was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 10. He assumed office in 2011. He left office on November 11, 2018.

Putnam (Republican Party) ran for election for South Carolina Secretary of State. He lost in the Republican primary on June 12, 2018.

Putnam is a former Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 10 from 2011 to 2018.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Putnam earned his B.S. from North Greenville University in 2011. Prior to entering college, he received his Eagle Scout Award and volunteered in congressional and presidential campaigns. At the time of his service in the state House, he was the owner of an industrial cleaning company.[1]

Committee assignments

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

South Carolina committee assignments, 2017
Education and Public Works
Operations and Management

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Putnam served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Putnam served on the following committees:

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2018

See also: South Carolina Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for South Carolina Secretary of State

Incumbent Mark Hammond defeated Melvin Whittenburg in the general election for South Carolina Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond (R)
 
57.1
 
970,576
Image of Melvin Whittenburg
Melvin Whittenburg (D)
 
42.8
 
727,952
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
968

Total votes: 1,699,496
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for South Carolina Secretary of State

Melvin Whittenburg advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
Image of Melvin Whittenburg
Melvin Whittenburg

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Carolina Secretary of State

Incumbent Mark Hammond defeated Joshua Putnam, Nelson Faerber, and Kerry Wood in the Republican primary for South Carolina Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond
 
65.4
 
218,215
Image of Joshua Putnam
Joshua Putnam
 
13.4
 
44,639
Image of Nelson Faerber
Nelson Faerber
 
12.5
 
41,570
Image of Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
 
8.7
 
29,075

Total votes: 333,499
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the South Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The primary runoff election was held on June 28, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 30, 2016.

Incumbent Joshua Putnam defeated Anna Brown in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 general election.[2][3]

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Joshua Putnam Incumbent 81.27% 13,823
     Democratic Anna Brown 18.73% 3,186
Total Votes 17,009
Source: South Carolina State Election Commission


Anna Brown ran unopposed in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 Democratic primary.[4][5]

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Anna Brown  (unopposed)


Incumbent Joshua Putnam ran unopposed in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 Republican primary.[6][7]

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Joshua Putnam Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for all 124 seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 30, 2014. Incumbent Joshua Putnam ran unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[8][9][10]

2012

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2012

Putnam defeated Hamp Johnson in the Republican primary on June 12 and was unchallenged in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[11][12][13]

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJoshua Putnam Incumbent 98.8% 12,534
     Other Write-Ins 1.2% 155
Total Votes 12,689
South Carolina House of Representatives District 10 Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJoshua Putman Incumbent 61.3% 1,478
Hamp Johnson 38.7% 935
Total Votes 2,413

2011

See also: State legislative special elections, 2011

Putnam defeated Dave Ballard (D) in the August 30, 2011 special election.[14][15]

2010

See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2010

Putnam was narrowly defeated by Daniel Cooper in the June 8 Republican primary for District 10 of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Cooper went on to defeat Dave Ballard (C) in the general election on November 2.[16].

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10 Republican Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Daniel Cooper (Incumbent) 2,882
Joshua Putnam 2,751

Campaign themes

2011

Putnam’s website highlighted the following campaign themes:[17]

  • State Rights:
Excerpt: "You don’t need me to tell you that the federal government is out of control. The budget deficit is at a record high, and the national debt is perilously rising every day. At every turn, the federal government seeks to infringe on the day-to-day lives of regular Americans like you and me... Because of the aggressive nature of the federal government, I believe South Carolina should be a leader among the 50 States in using the power of the 10th Amendment to curtail the harmful consequences of federal policies."
  • Job Creation:
Excerpt: "Businesses must operate with a profit and the only way to do this is by producing more or cutting cost. We, as legislators must find new ways to help them cut their costs, such as looking into lowering our corporate income tax, reducing property tax, and training the most skilled workforce... Government cannot be the guarantor or provider of jobs in South Carolina, but government certainly shouldn’t get in the way of small business owners expanding or new businesses locating to South Carolina."
  • Transparency:
Excerpt: "I will work diligently to bring about transparency within the State house. Now, is the time for our elected officials to be accountable to their word. It is unacceptable for “the People” not know how their leaders vote and where they stand on the issues."
  • Education:
Excerpt: "We are faced with overwhelming budget deficits, teacher layoffs, and overcrowding classrooms. At this time in our state’s history, we must focus on the basics, close the loopholes in the system, and cut wasteful programs that don’t work. Teachers should be given more authority within the classrooms to teach, and the ability to demand the full potential of their students."
  • Waste:
Excerpt: "If elected, I will look for ways to cut government and bureaucracy and employ a pay as you go system like that which is in our own households. Required audits for government spending are a must."
  • Unemployment System:
Excerpt: "The unemployment system was designed to be a spring board for those who lose their jobs until they are able to find new ones... I will diligently look into ways of cutting waste and restoring the founding principles of this system... Loop holes need to be closed for the ineligible in order for the system to remain functional to serve those that are needy."

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Joshua Putnam campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2016South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10Won $14,150 N/A**
2014South Carolina State House, District 10Won $6,000 N/A**
2012South Carolina State House, District 10Won $56,411 N/A**
2010South Carolina State House, District 10Lost $2,809 N/A**
Grand total$79,370 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in South Carolina

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of South Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.








2018

In 2018, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 9 through May 10.

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental and conservation issues.
Legislators are scored on business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011

The Palmetto Liberty PAC Scorecard

See also: Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee's Legislative Scorecard (2012)

The Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, a conservative, pro-limited government think tank in South Carolina, releases its scorecard for South Carolina representatives and senators once a year. The scorecard gives each legislator a score based on how he or she voted in the two-year legislative term prior to the election on specific issues that the Palametto Liberty PAC thinks are anti-limited government. "Most of the votes shown on the score card are votes that we lost. Now we can identify the Legislators that caused us to lose these votes. These Legislators are the ones who need to be replaced if we are to achieve the vision of having the most free state in the nation."[21]

2012

Joshua Putnam received a score of 54% in the 2012 scorecard, ranking 1st out of all 124 South Carolina House of Representatives members.[22] His score was followed by representatives Bill Chumley (53%), Eric Bedingfield (47%), Tom Corbin (47%), and Marion Frye (47%).[23]

Endorsements

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Joshua Putnam endorsed Newt Gingrich in the 2012 presidential election.[24]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Putnam Campaign Site, "Meet Joshua Putnam," accessed August 16, 2011
  2. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Candidate listing for the 11/8/2016 statewide general election," accessed August 26, 2016
  3. South Carolina State Election Commission, "2016 Statewide General Election," accessed November 28, 2016
  4. South Carolina Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking," accessed March 31, 2016
  5. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Unofficial primary election results," accessed June 14, 2016
  6. South Carolina Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking," accessed March 31, 2016
  7. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Unofficial primary election results," accessed June 14, 2016
  8. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Election Results," accessed June 10, 2014
  9. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Official general election results," accessed November 13, 2014
  10. South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 Election Information," accessed March 31, 2014
  11. AP.org, "South Carolina State Senate and State House Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
  12. South Carolina State Election Commission, "2012 Candidates," accessed April 20, 2012
  13. South Carolina State Election Commission, "Official Primary Results," June 29, 2012
  14. Independent Mail, "Joshua Putnam wins Republican runoff in House District 10," July 26, 2011
  15. Independent Mail, "Joshua Putnam becomes state’s youngest House representative," August 30, 2011
  16. www.enr-scvotes.org, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 1, 2014
  17. Putnam Campaign Site, "Joshua Putnam (Archive)," accessed September 10, 2013
  18. The State, "High court rules against Haley," June 6, 2011
  19. The Sun News, "S.C. House to have special session in June," May 6, 2011
  20. The Island Packet, "S.C. Senate OKs new congressional districted anchored in Beaufort County," June 29, 2011
  21. The Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "Voting Records," accessed April 11, 2014
  22. Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "South Carolina Senate Score Card 2012," accessed April 11, 2014
  23. Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "South Carolina Senate Score Card 2012," accessed May 15, 2014
  24. Newt Gingrich 2012, "South Carolina Legislative Endorsements For Newt Gingrich," January 20, 2012
Political offices
Preceded by
Daniel Cooper
South Carolina House of Representatives District 10
2004–2018
Succeeded by
West Vox


Leadership
Speaker of the House:G. Murrell Smith
Majority Leader:Davey Hiott
Minority Leader:James Rutherford
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
JA Moore (D)
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
Vacant
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
Joe White (R)
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
John King (D)
District 50
District 51
J. Weeks (D)
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
District 60
District 61
District 62
District 63
District 64
District 65
District 66
District 67
District 68
District 69
District 70
District 71
District 72
Seth Rose (D)
District 73
District 74
District 75
District 76
District 77
District 78
District 79
District 80
District 81
District 82
District 83
District 84
District 85
District 86
District 87
District 88
Vacant
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
Gil Gatch (R)
District 95
District 96
D. McCabe (R)
District 97
District 98
District 99
District 100
District 101
District 102
District 103
District 104
District 105
District 106
Val Guest (R)
District 107
District 108
District 109
District 110
District 111
District 112
District 113
District 114
District 115
District 116
District 117
District 118
District 119
District 120
District 121
District 122
District 123
District 124
Republican Party (86)
Democratic Party (36)
Vacancies (2)