12/27/2025
Woot!! Woot!!
South Carolina Republicans won all three special elections in the state’s legislature on December 24, 2025. Reps. John Lastinger, Dianne Mitchell, and Sen. Lee Bright each secured significant victories, with Mitchell and Bright earning over 70 and 67 percent of the vote, respectively. Lastinger defeated Democrat Joseph “Chuck” Hightower 62-37 in his race.
With only about 7 percent of registered voters participating, the GOP victories highlight the party’s mobilization efforts despite low turnout. "Republicans won all three special elections and that success belongs to the voters who showed up," the South Carolina Republican Party wrote.
The results are seen as a message of GOP strength heading into the 2026 elections, with Republicans asserting their readiness and unity for the future. The party's success was framed as a rejection of Democrats’ hopes that low voter participation would benefit them.
Critics and supporters alike are now turning attention to the implications for upcoming races, especially with the 2026 election cycle fast approaching.
