South Carolina Attorney General election, 2022 (June 14 Democratic primary)
- Primary date: June 14
- Mail-in registration deadline: May 16
- Online reg. deadline: May 15
- In-person reg. deadline: May 13
- Early voting starts: May 31
- Early voting ends: June 10
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Absentee/mail-in deadline: June 14
2026 →
← 2018
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South Carolina Attorney General |
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Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: March 30, 2022 |
Primary: June 14, 2022 General: November 8, 2022 Pre-election incumbent(s): Alan Wilson (Republican) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in South Carolina |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2022 Impact of term limits in 2022 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022 |
South Carolina executive elections |
Governor Lieutenant Governor |
A Democratic Party primary was scheduled to take place on June 14, 2022, in South Carolina to determine which candidate would earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's attorney general election on November 8, 2022. The primary was canceled after no Democratic candidates filed.
This page focuses on South Carolina's Democratic Party Attorney General primary. For more in-depth information on South Carolina's Republican Attorney General primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- South Carolina Attorney General election, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
- South Carolina Attorney General election, 2022

Candidates and election results
The Democratic Party primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
State profile
Demographic data for South Carolina | ||
---|---|---|
South Carolina | U.S. | |
Total population: | 4,894,834 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 30,061 | 3,531,905 |
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. |
Presidential voting pattern
South Carolina voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in South Carolina, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. South Carolina had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More South Carolina coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in South Carolina
- United States congressional delegations from South Carolina
- Public policy in South Carolina
- Endorsers in South Carolina
- South Carolina fact checks
- More...
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Presidential elections
Cook PVI by congressional district
Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for South Carolina, 2022 | |||
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District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
South Carolina's 1st | Nancy Mace | ![]() |
R+7 |
South Carolina's 2nd | Joe Wilson | ![]() |
R+8 |
South Carolina's 3rd | Jeff Duncan | ![]() |
R+21 |
South Carolina's 4th | William Timmons | ![]() |
R+12 |
South Carolina's 5th | Ralph Norman | ![]() |
R+12 |
South Carolina's 6th | Jim Clyburn | ![]() |
D+14 |
South Carolina's 7th | Tom Rice | ![]() |
R+11 |
2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines
2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, South Carolina[2] | ||||
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District | Joe Biden ![]() |
Donald Trump ![]() | ||
South Carolina's 1st | 44.9% | 53.5% | ||
South Carolina's 2nd | 43.9% | 54.5% | ||
South Carolina's 3rd | 30.6% | 68.0% | ||
South Carolina's 4th | 39.8% | 58.4% | ||
South Carolina's 5th | 40.2% | 58.4% | ||
South Carolina's 6th | 65.3% | 33.2% | ||
South Carolina's 7th | 40.2% | 58.8% |
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
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Democratic | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
Republican | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
New Republican | D | D | R |
Following the 2020 presidential election, 71.8% of South Carolinians lived in one of the state's 25 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 23.6% lived in one of 13 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, South Carolina was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in South Carolina following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
South Carolina county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
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Solid Republican | 25 | 71.8% | |||||
Solid Democratic | 13 | 23.6% | |||||
Trending Republican | 6 | 3.5% | |||||
New Republican | 2 | 1.2% | |||||
Total voted Democratic | 13 | 23.6% | |||||
Total voted Republican | 33 | 76.4% |
Historical voting trends
South Carolina presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 14 Republican wins
- 1 other win
Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | SR[3] | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Statewide elections
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in South Carolina.
U.S. Senate election results in South Carolina | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2020 | 54.5%![]() |
44.2%![]() |
2016 | 60.5%![]() |
37.0%![]() |
2014 | 54.3%![]() |
38.8%![]() |
2014 | 61.1%![]() |
37.1%![]() |
2010 | 62.4%![]() |
28.2%![]() |
Average | 58.6 | 37.1 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of South Carolina
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in South Carolina.
Gubernatorial election results in South Carolina | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2018 | 54.0%![]() |
45.9%![]() |
2014 | 55.9%![]() |
41.4%![]() |
2010 | 51.4%![]() |
46.9%![]() |
2006 | 55.1%![]() |
44.8%![]() |
2002 | 52.9%![]() |
47.0%![]() |
Average | 53.9 | 45.2 |
State partisanship
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of South Carolina's congressional delegation as of November 2022.
Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Carolina, November 2022 | |||
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Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
Democratic | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Republican | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 7 | 9 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in South Carolina's top four state executive offices as of November 2022.
State executive officials in South Carolina, November 2022 | |
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Office | Officeholder |
Governor | ![]() |
Lieutenant Governor | ![]() |
Secretary of State | ![]() |
Attorney General | ![]() |
State legislature
The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the South Carolina State Legislature as of November 2022.
South Carolina State Senate
Party | As of November 2022 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 16 | |
Republican Party | 30 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 46 |
South Carolina House of Representatives
Party | As of November 2022 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 43 | |
Republican Party | 80 | |
Vacancies | 1 | |
Total | 124 |
Trifecta control
As of November 2022, South Carolina was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.
South Carolina Party Control: 1992-2022
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
Demographics
The table below details demographic data in South Carolina and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.
Demographic Data for South Carolina | ||
---|---|---|
South Carolina | United States | |
Population | 4,625,364 | 308,745,538 |
Land area (sq mi) | 30,064 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White | 67.2% | 72.5% |
Black/African American | 26.8% | 12.7% |
Asian | 1.6% | 5.5% |
Native American | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Other (single race) | 1.8% | 4.9% |
Multiple | 2.3% | 3.3% |
Hispanic/Latino | 5.7% | 18% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate | 87.5% | 88% |
College graduation rate | 28.1% | 32.1% |
Income | ||
Median household income | $53,199 | $62,843 |
Persons below poverty level | 15.2% | 13.4% |
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
**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. |
See also
South Carolina | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022
- ↑ States' Rights Democratic Party
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