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Leonidas Stavrinakis
2006 - Present
2026
19
Leonidas Stavrinakis (Democratic Party) (also known as Leon) is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 119. He assumed office in 2006. His current term ends on November 9, 2026.
Stavrinakis (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the South Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 119. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Stavrinakis earned his B.A. from the College of Charleston in 1988. He went on to receive his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1992. Stavrinakis served as 9th Circuit Assistant Solicitor from 1993 to 1996. He then worked as a Prosecutor from 1993 to 2000. He has worked as an attorney for Stavrinakis Law Firm since 1996. Stavrinakis served on the Charleston County Council from 1999 to 2006. From 2005 to 2006, he served as Council Chairman.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Stavrinakis was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Stavrinakis was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Stavrinakis was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| South Carolina committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Ethics |
| • Ways and Means |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Stavrinakis served on the following committees:
| South Carolina committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Ethics |
| • Ways and Means |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Stavrinakis served on the following committees:
| South Carolina committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Ethics |
| • Ways and Means |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Stavrinakis served on the following committees:
| South Carolina committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Judiciary |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Stavrinakis served on the following committees:
| South Carolina committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Judiciary |
Sponsored legislation
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
2024
See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis defeated Brendan Magee in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Leonidas Stavrinakis (D) | 55.1 | 13,280 |
 | Brendan Magee (R)  | 44.7 | 10,775 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 28 | ||
| Total votes: 24,083 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Brendan Magee advanced from the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Stavrinakis in this election.
2022
See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis defeated Ken Fipps in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Leonidas Stavrinakis (D) | 57.5 | 10,299 |
 | Ken Fipps (R) | 42.5 | 7,609 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 13 | ||
| Total votes: 17,921 | |||
| = 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
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Ken Fipps advanced from the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119.
2020
See also: South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis defeated Alex Thornton in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Leonidas Stavrinakis (D) | 69.5 | 16,842 |
 | Alex Thornton (L) | 29.8 | 7,225 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 156 | ||
| Total votes: 24,223 | |||
| = 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
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119.
2018
General election
General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis defeated Paul Sizemore in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Leonidas Stavrinakis (D) | 65.0 | 11,172 |
| Paul Sizemore (R) | 35.0 | 6,011 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 11 | ||
| Total votes: 17,194 | |||
| = 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 House of Representatives District 119
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis advanced from the Democratic primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Leonidas Stavrinakis |
| ||||
| = 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 House of Representatives District 119
Paul Sizemore advanced from the Republican primary for South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Paul Sizemore | |
| ||||
| = 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
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 Leonidas Stavrinakis defeated Lee Edwards in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 general election.[1][2]
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 119 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Leonidas Stavrinakis Incumbent |
61.20% | 12,146 | |
| Republican | Lee Edwards | 38.80% | 7,699 | |
| Total Votes | 19,845 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission | ||||
Incumbent Leonidas Stavrinakis ran unopposed in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 119 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Leonidas Stavrinakis Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Lee Edwards ran unopposed in the South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 Republican primary.[5][6]
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 119 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Lee Edwards (unopposed) | |
2015
Stavrinakis ran for election for mayor of Charleston. He and John Tecklenburg advanced to a runoff after the election on November 3. Tecklenburg defeated Stavrinakis in the runoff.[7] The outgoing mayor, Joseph P. Riley Jr., was retiring after serving 10 terms since 1975.[8]
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 Leon Stavrinakis was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Chris Cannon defeated Ken Fipps in the Republican primary. Colin Ross ran as a Libertarian candidate. Sean Thornton (L) was defeated at convention. Stavrinakis defeated Cannon and Ross in the general election.[9][10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Leon Stavrinakis Incumbent |
60.5% | 6,676 | |
| Republican | Chris Cannon | 35.9% | 3,961 | |
| Libertarian | Colin Ross | 3.5% | 389 | |
| Total Votes | 11,026 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Chris Cannon |
58.2% | 1,119 |
| Ken Fipps | 41.8% | 803 |
| Total Votes | 1,922 | |
2012
Stavrinakis ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 12 and in the general election on November 6, 2012.[12][13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Leonidas Stavrinakis Incumbent |
98% | 12,251 | |
| Other | Write-Ins | 2% | 251 | |
| Total Votes | 12,502 | |||
2010
Stavrinakis ran unopposed in the June 8 Democratic primary for District 119 of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Stavrinakis defeated Lee Edwards (R) in the general election on November 2.[14]
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 119 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Leonidas Stavrinakis (D)
|
6,693 | 54.81% | ||
| Lee Edwards (R) | 5,510 | 45.12% | ||
| Write-In | 8 | 0.07% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Stavrinakis won re-election to the 119th District seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives, defeating Chris Cannon (R).
Stavrinakis raised $137,686 for his campaign, while Cannon raised $6,139.[15]
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 119 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Leonidas Stavrinakis (D)
|
10,432 | |||
| Chris Cannon (R) | 7,251 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Leonidas Stavrinakis did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Leonidas Stavrinakis did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Leonidas Stavrinakis did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Scorecards
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.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 9 to May 9.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 11.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 11 to May 12.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 12 to May 13.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 14 to June 25. The state Senate reconvened September to September 3. Both chambers reconvened September 15 to September 24.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 21.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 9 through May 10.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 10 through May 11.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 12 through June 2.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 13 through June 4.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 14 through June 6.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 8 to June 20.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 11 through June 7.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the South Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 11 through June 2. On June 2, 2011, Governor Nikki Haley (R) attempted to call the legislature into an "emergency" special session to begin on June 7 to create the new South Carolina Department of Administration. A lawsuit was filed by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell (R), in which he contended that Haley's call for a special session was unconstitutional, and that it violated the state Constitution's requirement of separation of powers among the governor, legislature and courts.[16] On June 6, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled 3-2 against Governor Haley, stating that her order violated the Legislature's ability to set its calendar and agenda. The legislature met in a special redistricting session from June 14 - July 1.[17] The legislature re-convened July 26.[18]
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The Palmetto Liberty PAC Scorecard
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."[19]
2012
Leonidas Stavrinakis received a score of 13% in the 2012 scorecard, ranking 102nd out of all 124 South Carolina House of Representatives members.[20] His score was followed by representatives Ted Vick (13%), Thad Viers (13%), and J. David Weeks (13%).[21]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Stavrinakis and his wife, Anne, have three children.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 |
Officeholder South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Candidate listing for the 11/8/2016 statewide general election," accessed August 26, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "2016 Statewide General Election," accessed November 28, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Unofficial primary election results," accessed June 14, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Unofficial primary election results," accessed June 14, 2016
- ↑ postandcourier.com, "John Tecklenburg defeats Leon Stavrinakis to become Charleston’s next mayor," November 17, 2015
- ↑ wltx.com, "Charleston voters electing their first new mayor in 40 years," November 2, 2015
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Primary Election Results," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Official general election results," accessed November 13, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 Election Information," accessed March 31, 2014
- ↑ AP.org, "South Carolina State Senate and State House Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "2012 Candidates," accessed April 25, 2012
- ↑ www.enr-scvotes.org, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 campaign contributions," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ The State, "High court rules against Haley," June 6, 2011
- ↑ The Sun News, "S.C. House to have special session in June," May 6, 2011
- ↑ The Island Packet, "S.C. Senate OKs new congressional districted anchored in Beaufort County," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "Voting Records," accessed April 11, 2014
- ↑ Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "South Carolina Senate Score Card 2012," accessed April 11, 2014
- ↑ 'Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "South Carolina Senate Score Card 2012," accessed May 15, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
South Carolina House of Representatives District 119 2006-Present |
Succeeded by - |
