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South Carolina's 1st Congressional District election (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)

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South Carolina's 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 30, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018
Primary runoff: June 26, 2018 (if needed)
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Mark Sanford (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in South Carolina
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): R+10
Cook Political Report: Lean Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
South Carolina's 1st Congressional District
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th
South Carolina elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

Incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford (R) was defeated by state Rep. Katie Arrington by a four percent margin in the Republican primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

Support for President Donald Trump (R) was one of the defining issues of the race. Sanford had been critical of Trump's rhetoric and policies, and Arrington used those comments as part of her campaigning strategy in the primary. Arrington was endorsed by Trump just hours before polls closed on June 12.[1]

Sanford spoke of Arrington's challenge, saying "The campaign season is the time to create contrasts, whether they are real or imagined, and in this instance you got a Republican challenger who says I don't vote with Trump enough, and I have a Democratic challenger who says I vote with him too often," he said.[2] Sanford's district backed Trump by 13 points in the 2016 presidential election.[3]

Arrington released an ad in February 2018 tacitly referring to Sanford's relationship with Trump, saying, "[T]oo many Washington politicians only want to attack our president. I am not a politician; I am a mother and small business owner. And I am running for Congress to help pass President Trump’s bold, conservative agenda."[4]

Sanford's campaign priority was curbing federal spending. Arrington insisted the election was about Trump. "When I talk to the voters, they want to know are you for him or against him. That's what they want," she said.[5]

The open primary was June 12.

South Carolina voter? Dates you need to know.
Primary electionJune 12, 2018
Candidate filing deadlineMarch 30, 2018
Registration deadlineMay 13, 2018
Absentee application deadlineJune 8, 2018
General electionNovember 6, 2018
Voting information
Primary typeOpen
Early voting deadlineJune 12, 2018
Polling place hours7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.


For more on related elections, please see:


Candidates and election results

Katie Arrington defeated incumbent Mark Sanford and Dimitri Cherny in the Republican primary for U.S. House South Carolina District 1 on June 12, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House South Carolina District 1

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Katie Arrington
Katie Arrington
 
50.6
 
33,153
Image of Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford
 
46.5
 
30,496
Image of Dimitri Cherny
Dimitri Cherny
 
2.9
 
1,932

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 65,581
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.

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Candidates

Top candidates

Katie Arrington

Katie Arrington.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Arrington was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2016. Heading into the 2018 election, she served as the vice president of operations, military, and government at Dispersive Technologies Inc., a cyber software solutions provider.

She has also served on the board of directors of the Charleston Defense Contractor Association and as the co-chair of the Navy League USCGC Hamilton Commissioning Fundraising committee.[6]

Arrington was endorsed in the primary by President Donald Trump and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. She reported $583,000 in contributions at the end of March. Her campaign platform highlighted growing the economy, improving transportation, and upholding the Constitution.[7]

Mark Sanford

Mark Sanford, Official Portrait, 113th Congress.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Sanford was elected to the U.S. House for a second time in 2013. Prior to his election, he served as the Governor of South Carolina from 2003 until 2011. He was a member of the Air Force Reserve from 2002 until 2011.

Sanford also served in the U.S. House from 1995 until 2001.

Sanford earned an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and his B.A. in business from Furman University.[8][9][10]

Sanford raised about $728,000 in the first quarter of 2018.


List of all candidates

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018



Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Campaign themes and policy stances

Campaign themes

The campaign themes below were taken from the candidates' campaign websites.

Katie Arrington

Focusing on South Carolina, Not on CNN

For far too long, Mark Sanford has been more focused on getting himself on the national news instead of focusing on the needs and concerns of our region.

In short, Mark Sanford spends more time on CNN than he does fighting for the Charleston region.

My goal as Congressman is to truly fight for our shared, common sense, South Carolina conservative values.

As a Member of Congress, I will fight to keep our jobs and continue growing our economy. I will work to improve transportation with action, not words. I will always stand by our Constitution, including the right-to-life and the protection of our 2nd Amendment. I will ensure our military leaders, and men and women in uniform, get the support they need and deserve. Our Veterans who sacrificed for our freedoms and Senior Citizens who built the great nation we have today will always be a priority.

In short, I will make South Carolina and her people the priority, not my political career.

Mark Sanford has spent years living off the government’s payroll. It is time for a new voice. I will be your voice. And, I will fight for you.

Taking Power Away from Politicians

In the State Legislature, I pushed for reforms to limit the terms of Committee Chairs. Why? Because, the longer they hold the gavel, the more they forget whom they should be working for.

As your next Member of Congress, I will refuse to accept any salary greater than the average salary in our Congressional District. I will donate the remaining to charity.

I call that leadership by example.

Our current Congressman has been in politics almost his entire career. He plays the outside while living off a government paycheck. Even in disgrace, he came back for more.

I will be your voice. And, I will make you proud.

Fighting for a Dollar’s Value for a Dollar Spent

There is an old phrase that some are pennywise and pound foolish. The politician who is our current Congressman may fall within this bucket.

Taxpayer’s money is precious. It is our money… not the IRS.

Working with our nation’s military leaders, I have helped provide tools in a cost-efficient manner that helps them accomplish their missions for years.

As a Member of Congress, I will work to ensure dollars spent receive a dollar’s value in return.

As it relates to transportation, saying “no” in the short run means massive new spending in the long-term. That is why it is important we have prudent plans and focus on results with the dollars that are spent.

To keep Washington’s power in check, I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. Only then can we ensure politicians actually practice what they preach.

Improving Transportation

Getting to and from work, visiting the grocery store, dropping kids or grandkids off at school, or making a needed fast trip to the hospital should not be a cause for concern.

Unfortunately, our transportation system has been neglected and forgotten.

It has been very easy for Mark Sanford to say “no,” when he should have been saying “yes” to solving the transportation problems in the region.

I have spent a good part of my career working to ensure our nation’s military officials receive the tools they need to be successful. As a Member of Congress, I will put that same experience to work trying to create solutions to our traffic problems.

We can find solutions. It takes determination, drive, and focus to get it done. I will help make it happen.

Supporting Our 2nd Amendment

In our nation, nothing is more important than our Constitution. It has helped create the great nation we have today. And, it protects our freedoms.

Our 2nd Amendment is one of the most important freedoms in the Constitution.

As a Member of Congress, I will always defend our shared 2nd Amendment rights.

Empowering Parents

To ensure our children can reach the jobs of tomorrow, as a Member of Congress, I will support empowering our teachers and parents to make decisions in the classroom, not bureaucrats from Washington.

I support local decisions being the priority in education. Parents should have choices in ensuring their children receive the best education possible.

Our kids are our future. And, I believe strongly that parents and educators in South Carolina know best how to protect that future.

Standing Up for Our Veterans and Those Who Serve

As a longtime member of a military family and the parent of a service member, I understand how important our nation’s military is in protecting our nation.

As a Member of Congress, I will always stand up to support our men and women in uniform as well as those who served.

Our Veterans deserve the care they were promised and gratefulness for the sacrifice they have made for our nation.

And, especially today, we cannot forget our law enforcement officers and other first responders. Our men and women in blue protect us every single day. Our firefighters are ready at a moment’s notice to charge into a burning building. We must stand behind these community leaders.

Protecting Our Economy

My goal is not to become a nationally-known politician – for the right or wrong reasons. My goal is to fight for South Carolina.

As a Member of Congress, I will work with regional and state leaders to continue recruiting new jobs to South Carolina and in protecting the jobs we have here now.

Washington red-tape smothers innovation and kills small business jobs. I will support efforts to streamline red-tape and ensure our innovators can truly innovate.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

Mark Sanford

Debt and Spending

The Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman once observed that the ultimate measure of government was what it spent. While not the only measure, it is an important one because in many ways how free we are as individuals is determined by what we’re compelled to pay to government each year. Either we work for ourselves and our families, or for government.

In this vein each year, the Tax Foundation calculates “Tax Freedom Day” based upon what day individuals across the nation as a whole have earned enough money to pay off their taxes for the year. In 2012, that day was April 17th – so government spending is indeed a proxy for freedom. It’s horrifying if you really stop and think about this number and the trend behind it because it shows we will now spend nearly the first four months of each year working for government. Worse still is that with the present trends in federal spending we are headed to some form of indentured servitude where over 70 percent of our day, week and month go to government, if there is no change to the spending juggernaut in Washington.

Encouragingly, Mark’s record is second to none in holding spending in check – and in fighting debts and deficit spending.

Mark was rated number one in the entire United States Congress by both Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union for his efforts to limit federal spending and taxation. Similarly the CATO Institute ranked Mark the most financially conservative Governor in America, calling him “a staunch supporter of spending restraint and pro-growth tax reforms.”

As governor, he eliminated nearly $1 billion in deficits and debts inherited from the previous administration.

He proposed the first operational Executive Branch budget in state history, a significant step into what had been the exclusive sandbox of the State Legislature…but one that paid real dividends for the taxpayer as $260 million in vetoes were sustained in 2010 alone. These budgets were guidebooks in each of his eight years on reducing spending, and restructuring and modernizing state government – from which a whole host of other savings came.

After two years of conflict with the legislature over their “Competitive Grants” slush fund – a backdoor way in which legislators of both parties were able to send pork back to their district – he succeeded in getting his veto of the program sustained – saving taxpayers $46 million per year.

For years, legislators had circumvented the accountability that would come with a transparent budget process through a secret process called a “pass through,” where they would put unallocated dollars in an agency budget, then tell the agency how to spend it after the budget had passed. He signed an Executive Order eliminating pass-through spending for all the agencies in his Cabinet.

It was also standard practice in Columbia for legislators to “bobtail” special projects to unrelated bills, costing taxpayers millions. It prevented accountability to the taxpayer because it enabled any legislator to be for, or against a bill, because there were so many different things in the bill. If you didn’t like a part of the bill, they could agree with you as they would inevitably be “against” that part too. The most famous example of this was the Life Sciences bill, which started as a relatively narrow group of economic development incentives but morphed into a laundry list of unrelated things attached like adding four year status for USC-Sumter. Governor Sanford fought the practice of bobtailing all the way to the state Supreme Court, and ultimately won.

With regard to federal spending Mark believes entitlement reform is key simply because that is where the bulk of all federal spending takes place. He believes programs like Social Security and Medicare represent a promise to our citizens that must be kept for existing beneficiaries, but that we have to modernize these programs for future retirees so that they will be sustainable for future generations. Without entitlement reform, the Congressional Budget Office now predicts than in just eleven years there will only be enough federal revenue to cover interest on the national debt and entitlements….leaving nothing left for defense, or any other area of federal spending.

Mark had a strong record as governor in pushing for fundamental changes to the healthcare delivery system, for instance he was the first governor in the nation to successfully push for a Health Savings Account option for Medicaid. In addition, he was consistently on the leading edge of proposed reforms in Congress that were aimed at solvency for Medicare and Social Security.

Mark believes in, and would push for, a federal balanced budget amendment – but he has never waited for its arrival to push and vote for budgets that were balanced.

He believes that immigration, at the end of the day, is both an issue of national sovereignty and closely tied to the total cost of government; accordingly he believes it should be limited. He believes that the current Senate bill does not do enough to address our country’s core needs in the immigration debate and to address the hidden costs in our current immigration policy that will lead to continued demand for illegal immigration.

Finally he believes that federalism, the idea of pushing power and authority out of Washington and down to states and even the most local government possible, is a critical tool to getting our nation’s financial house in order.

Jobs and the Economy

Mark has spent his entire time in Congress and the governorship pushing for private enterprise and free market solutions over government control, regulation and growth. Mark believes a business playing field that allows companies to freely compete, without government control and directive, is the most basic and important foundation to growth in jobs and the economy. The political philosopher F. A. Hayek, called attempts by politicians to better the marketplace through government regulations as the “fatal conceit”…he was right – because what those in government never fully comprehend are the ways in which the market moves so much faster than those in government. Adams Smith’s so called invisible hand always has, and always will, move faster than the wheels of government.

He believes there is also a direct tie between our nation’s financial health, and the health of the economy. So quite simply, Mark’s vision for creating jobs and economic opportunity is about not only holding the line on spending, but also about getting government out of the way and thereby creating the right “soil conditions” for businesses to grow and thrive.

His record as governor bears that out, as his administration’s efforts attracted $24 billion in capital investment, more investment than during any other eight year period in South Carolina history. This includes Boeing’s $750 million investment in Charleston.

Consistently his team worked toward the basics that further attract financial capital – open markets, private property rights, a limited and effective government, a fair legal climate, an educated work force, and good physical infrastructure. So for instance, after a two-and-a-half year fight with the legislature, including members of his own party, the governor signed the first cut to the marginal income tax rate in state history. This finally brought the 7% tax rate for small businesses, partnerships and limited liability companies down to the 5% level that corporations were paying. He also signed the largest recurring tax cut in state history, for an annual savings to taxpayers of an additional $220 million.

For years, South Carolina was ranked as a “judicial hellhole,” in part because of the undue influence that lawyer-legislators were able to place on the judges they appointed. Mark changed that, by signing a tort reform bill that restricted and capped frivolous lawsuits, put caps on medical malpractice and ended the practice of venue shopping. Mark also signed a workers’ compensation reform bill that established rules for medical evidence and guidelines for “repetitive trauma” injuries which helped curb sometimes politically-tainted workers comp claims.

The Port of Charleston is perhaps the most critical piece of infrastructure to the state of South Carolina, and a gateway for billions in economic activity. As governor, Mark fought against the legislature’s attempts to micromanage the Port’s activity, and worked to make sure the Ports Authority was more directly accountable to the people of South Carolina.

Mark supports efforts to dredge the main shipping channel to at least 50 feet in order to accommodate post-Panamax vessels.

Mark has also been a staunch advocate of developing port capacity in Jasper County, having forged a bi-state compact with Georgia as governor to begin development there.

When it comes to infrastructure, South Carolina receives only about .85 cents on every dollar in federal gas tax it sends to DC. As a Congressman, Mark fought to correct that inequity and will continue to do so if elected in 2013. Mark believes that all federal highway spending should be block-granted to the states, free of federal mandates and earmarks. States, cities and counties know better where to allocate transportation dollars than Congress. As governor, he fought for restructuring legislation that for the first time since its creation in 1917 made the state DOT accountable to the Executive Branch, and took steps toward taking the politics and legislative micromanagement out of the road-building process.

Mark went to bat for small business again, when he opposed and twice vetoed legislation that gave $9 million in special incentives to big-box retailers, like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop, that weren’t available to their mom-and-pop store competitors.

Mark’s results speak for themselves – during his governorship, South Carolina added 3,000 small businesses, and ranked 15th in the nation in employment growth.

Mark believes in a fairer, flatter and simpler tax structure conducive to economic growth, like the Fair Tax and the Flat Tax, and is opposed to special carve-outs that bail out one class of business at the expense of others.

Of many other additional tools to better our economy, he believes energy independence and more job-creating domestic energy production is vital. He has also been a long time advocate for market-based education reform at the state and federal level, believing that school choice is a key in creating a better educational system so important to economic competitiveness.

Healthcare Reform

As in so many others area of government, Mark believes we should look for ways of getting more out of the government that we pay for – and this is especially the case in government healthcare. As a country we now spend more than twice the average of other industrialized nations, but have far poorer healthcare outcomes on a host of categories ranging from infant mortality to average life span.

For this reason, Mark has been a long time advocate of market-based solutions to healthcare reform. His administration was the first in the country to receive a waiver from the federal government to offer a statewide system of Health Savings Accounts to the Medicaid population.

He believes that healthcare coverage should be portable and that we should ultimately move toward a primary payer system given it was oddly the wage and price controls of World War II that originally coupled employment and healthcare. As noted earlier he has long been a proponent of legal reform as a way of avoiding much of the defensive medicine now currently forced on doctors, the medical community and patients. As governor he fought the legislative body’s attempts to broaden medical eligibility on a host of categories believing that it did not make common sense to add to programs we were already unable to pay for and sustain.

At the state level Medicaid was nine percent of our budget 10 years ago, 19 percent today and on our way to 29 percent in ten years. The federal government’s numbers are even worse and though our country has the finest healthcare treatment system in the world, its cost and access remain a problem. Consequently there have been many proposed solutions – Obamacare, with its $503 billion in new taxes and fees over the next 10 years, being the latest. Mark would work with others in Congress to repeal Obamacare because of its costs and inconsistency with market principals.

National Defense

Mark believes one of the core functions of our federal government lies in providing for our nation’s defense, as outlined by Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. He believes that only the Congress can declare war and that we should get away from military actions directed by the White House without the authorization of Congress, as his belief has always been that body bags from foreign lands do not return to Washington – but Congressional districts across this country.

He also believes that Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was right in his assessment that the greatest threat to our Nation’s security lies in our Nation’s debt and deficits. Indeed, economic supremacy has always been the key to military supremacy. Paul Kennedy talks about it in his book, “The Rise and Fall of Great Powers,” and it’s a phenomenon that’s been noted by military historians across time. Accordingly, it makes it that much more important for the sovereignty and security of our country that we do something about spending in Washington.

So Mark is committed to maintaining a strong national defense, both in economic and military terms. He believes in maintaining promises to those who have served. He believes that sustaining a military leadership and technological edge is vital as one views military budgets – and that to do so we have to constantly retool for today’s threats. Subsequently he believes we should look for efficiencies in defense as in every other program of government –as well as to look at the cost of police actions around the world. He believes America cannot afford to subsidize other countries unwillingness to adequately fund their own defense budgets as was recently demonstrated in France’s recent inability to fly even their own troops to Northern Africa. Here, it’s telling that France spends 2.3 percent of their GDP on their military, yet count on American help while America spends double that number. For those nations that do, like Israel that spends 6.5 percent, we must continue to work as strong strategic partners.

Finally, Mark believes the installations here in the Lowcountry are playing a unique and critical mission in today’s military, whether that is with the lift provided by the 315th or 437th in Charleston or with the Marines, Navy and Army operational and training capacities across the district. In fact, Mark fought hard to highlight our state’s unique military missions as governor, establishing a BRAC task force that took our case directly to Washington. While many states lost jobs during the 2004 base closures, South Carolina as a state netted more than 700 new military jobs – which highlights the extraordinary effort and role of so many men and women in uniform in this state.

Life and Liberty

Mark attended Thomas Jefferson’s so called “Academic Village” for graduate school. Whether it was there at Virginia, or years earlier under his father’s lessons at the farm, somewhere along the way he developed a life’s passion for liberty and freedom – hallmarks of the American experiment. The central tenant of his political philosophy has always been rooted in maximizing personal freedom…which is in turn why he believes so strongly in limiting government. He has always believed that politics boiled down to one simple question, “Who is going to make the decision, you or somebody else?

In a society of limited government, you make the choices about your life. In a political society, which is inevitable as government grows, someone else does. For that reason George Washington warned us that, “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearsome master.” This was the thinking of each of the founding fathers, and this is why he believes they were so deliberate about including the right to keep and bear arms. Mark has always been a staunch defender of the second amendment and would continue to be so if elected to Congress.

Of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, no right is more fundamental than that of life, and as such, Mark is pro-life, believing that life begins at conception.

More than anything he has come to believe that a limited government is vital to the pursuit of happiness. The ability to pursue one’s dreams, to build a family, to use one’s talents to help others and to glorify God and so much more – rests in a limited government that leaves each one of us with the financial resources and freedom to pursue these things.

It’s for these reasons that all of his focus on making government smaller, more efficient and more accountable is ultimately aimed in one final direction…the birthright of all Americans, freedom.

Quality of Life

Mark is a child of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and as such believes there is something unique and special about this part of the world. Formative work and life experiences came for him with his brothers and sister on their family farm on the Coosaw River – and it was from there that he launched Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn adventures as a boy with his brothers in the woods and waters of the Lowcountry. It’s given him an appreciation for the area and a strong belief that some of what has kept so many here, and invited so many others, should be preserved and protected.

In short, in a world where so many places blend to look like the next place, he believes that maintaining the unique look and feel of the Lowcountry is good for both the soul and the economy. It’s a competitive advantage of this part of the world that should be played to as strength – and he would work to do this as Congressman.

He’s done it before. As Governor, Mark worked with Senator Chip Campsen and was instrumental in the initial funding for the Conservation Land Bank, which in using free market principles has preserved more than 152,000 acres of land in South Carolina since its inception. More significantly 254,000 acres were preserved during his tenure, more than during any other governorship in South Carolina history.[11]

Endorsements

Republican primary endorsements
Endorsement Katie Arrington Mark Sanford
Federal officials
President Donald Trump (R)[1] ✔
Local officials
Keith Summey, North Charleston mayor[12] ✔
Organizations
Tea Party Patriots[13] ✔
National Federation of Independent Business[14] ✔
PAC's
FreedomWorks for America[15] ✔


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
South Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, Republican primary
Poll Mark Sanford Katie ArringtonUndecidedMargin of ErrorSample Size
Momentum National
June 6, 2018		 39.7%39.0%7.0%+/-4.5315
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign tactics and strategies

Campaign advertisements

Katie Arrington

Support
"It's Time" released June 6, 2018
"Take a Hike" released May 14, 2018
"Where I Stand" released April 27, 2018

Mark Sanford

Support
"Facts Matter" released June 9, 2018
Against
"Talking Head" released April 30, 2018
"#NeverTrumper Mark Sanford" released April 25, 2018
"Katie Arrington for Congress - End the Gridlock" released February 18, 2018


Campaign issues

Congressional benefits and term limits

Arrington pledged on January 16, 2018, to decline congressional healthcare and retirement benefits. She also said she would donate $125,000 annually from her congressional salary to Lowcountry charities and limit her service to eight years in Congress.[16]

Sanford signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge in March 2016, stating that he would cosponsor and vote for legislation to limit service in the U.S. House to three terms and the U.S. Senate to two.[17] Sanford served in Congress for three terms from 1995 to 2001. Following eight years in the governor's house, he returned to Congress. This race was for Sanford's seventh term in the U.S. House.

Campaign finance

The table below details campaign finance reports for the candidates in this race who reported at least $10,000 in receipts as of March 31, 2018.[18]


Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Race ratings: South Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker Race ratings
October 30, 2018 October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report Lean Republican Lean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales Solid Republican Solid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball Lean Republican Lean RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+10, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made South Carolina's 1st Congressional District the 137th most Republican nationally.[19]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.97. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.97 points toward that party.[20]

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 46 South Carolina counties—10.9 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Barnwell County, South Carolina 5.16% 5.33% 1.65%
Calhoun County, South Carolina 2.83% 4.31% 3.55%
Chester County, South Carolina 4.83% 10.58% 8.30%
Colleton County, South Carolina 8.49% 0.19% 0.53%
McCormick County, South Carolina 3.32% 3.60% 6.08%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won South Carolina with 54.9 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 40.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, South Carolina cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 53.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Carolina supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates, 53.3 to 43.3 percent. South Carolina favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in South Carolina. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns show the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns show the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[21][22]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 38 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 85 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 28.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 86 out of 124 state House districts in South Carolina with an average margin of victory of 30.1 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in South Carolina heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Republicans controlled both chambers of the South Carolina State Legislature. They had a 80-44 majority in the state House and a 27-19 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

2018 elections

See also: South Carolina elections, 2018

South Carolina held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for South Carolina
 South CarolinaU.S.
Total population:4,894,834316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):30,0613,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:67.2%73.6%
Black/African American:27.5%12.6%
Asian:1.4%5.1%
Native American:0.3%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:5.3%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:85.6%86.7%
College graduation rate:25.8%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$45,483$53,889
Persons below poverty level:22%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in South Carolina.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, South Carolina's three largest cities were Charleston (pop. est. 135,000), Columbia (pop. est. 133,000), and North Charleston (pop. est. 111,000).[23]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in South Carolina from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the South Carolina Election Commission.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in South Carolina every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), South Carolina 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 54.9% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 40.7% 14.2%
2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 54.6% Democratic Party Barack Obama 44.1% 10.5%
2008 Republican Party John McCain 53.9% Democratic Party Barack Obama 44.9% 9.0%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 58.0% Democratic Party John Kerry 40.9% 17.1%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 56.8% Democratic Party Al Gore 40.9% 15.9%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in South Carolina from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), South Carolina 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Tim Scott 60.6% Democratic Party Thomas Dixon 36.9% 23.7%
2014[24] Republican Party Tim Scott 61.1% Democratic Party Joyce Dickerson 37.1% 24.0%
2014 Republican Party Lindsey Graham 54.3% Democratic Party Brad Hutto 38.8% 15.5%
2010 Republican Party Jim DeMint 61.5% Democratic Party Alvin Greene 27.7% 33.8%
2008 Republican Party Lindsey Graham 57.5% Democratic Party Bob Conley 42.3% 15.2%
2004 Republican Party Jim DeMint 53.7% Democratic Party Inez Tenenbaum 44.1% 9.6%
2002 Republican Party Lindsey Graham 54.4% Democratic Party Alex Sanders 44.2% 10.2%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in South Carolina.

Election results (Governor), South Carolina 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party Nikki Haley 55.9% Democratic Party Vincent Sheheen 41.4% 14.5%
2010 Republican Party Nikki Haley 51.4% Democratic Party Vincent Sheheen 46.9% 4.5%
2006 Republican Party Mark Sanford 55.1% Democratic Party Kerry Healey 44.8% 10.3%
2002 Republican Party Mark Sanford 52.8% Democratic Party Jim Hodges 47.0% 5.8%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, South Carolina 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 6 85.7% Democratic Party 1 14.3% R+5
2014 Republican Party 6 85.7% Democratic Party 1 14.3% R+5
2012 Republican Party 6 85.7% Democratic Party 1 14.3% R+5
2010 Republican Party 5 83.3% Democratic Party 1 16.7% R+4
2008 Republican Party 4 66.7% Democratic Party 2 33.3% R+2
2006 Republican Party 4 66.7% Democratic Party 2 33.3% R+2
2004 Republican Party 4 66.7% Democratic Party 2 33.3% R+2
2002 Republican Party 4 66.7% Democratic Party 2 33.3% R+2
2000 Republican Party 4 66.7% Democratic Party 2 33.3% R+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

South Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Axios, "Trump disses Mark Sanford: 'He is better off in Argentina'," June 12, 2018
  2. ↑ Kentucky, "Trump loyalty test will shape GOP’s 2018 House races," September 13, 2017
  3. ↑ Daily Kos, "Presidential Election Results by Congressional District," accessed January 11, 2018
  4. ↑ The Post & Courier, "U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford's GOP challenger Katie Arrington launches first TV ad," February 19, 2018
  5. ↑ The Post and Courier, "In GOP primary, U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford sticks to fiscal focus while Katie Arrington hones in on Trump," May 21, 2018
  6. ↑ Facebook, "Katie Arrington," accessed May 24, 2018
  7. ↑ Katie Arrington 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 24, 2018
  8. ↑ Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, "Sanford," accessed June 18, 2013
  9. ↑ Roll Call, "Rep. Mark Sanford," September 8, 2014
  10. ↑ Mark Sanford 2018 campaign website, "About," accessed May 24, 2018
  11. ↑ Mark Sanford 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 24, 2018
  12. ↑ FitsNews, "#SC1: North Charleston Mayor Endorses Katie Arrington," February 28, 2018
  13. ↑ Mark Sanford 2018 campaign website, "Tea Party Patriots Endorses Sanford," May 31, 2018
  14. ↑ Mark Sanford 2018 campaign website, "NFIB Endorses Sanford," June 4, 2018
  15. ↑ Mark Sanford 2018 campaign website, "FreedomWorks for America Endorses Sanford," May 30, 2018
  16. ↑ Kate Arrington, Conservative for Congress, "Arrington to Decline Congressional Healthcare and Retirement Benefits," January 16, 2018
  17. ↑ U.S. Term Limits, "U.S. Term Limits Praises Mark Sanford for Signing Term Limits Pledge," April 18, 2016
  18. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidates for House of Representatives," accessed May 24, 2018
  19. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  20. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  21. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  22. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  23. ↑ South Carolina Demographics, "South Carolina Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2018
  24. ↑ Special election


South Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Lindsey Graham (R)
Tim Scott (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Republican Party (8)
Democratic Party (1)


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