2000 South Carolina Senate election

Last updated

2000 South Carolina Senate election
Flag of South Carolina.svg
← 1996
November 7, 2000
2004  →
All 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate
24 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
  Glenn F. McConnell.jpg John Drummond, South Carolina State Senator.jpg
Leader Glenn F. McConnell John W. Drummond
Party Republican Democratic
Leader sinceJanuary 1996
Leader's seatDistrict 41District 10
Last election2125
Seats after24 [a] 22
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 3
President pro tempore before election

John W. Drummond
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Glenn F. McConnell
Republican

The 2000 South Carolina Senate election was held on November 7, 2000, to determine which party would control the South Carolina Senate for the following four years in the 114th South Carolina General Assembly. All 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate were up for election. Prior to the election, 25 seats were held by Democrats and 21 seats were held by Republicans. The general election saw Republicans flip 2 seats, thereby leaving the Senate evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, until Democrat J. Verne Smith of District 5 switched parties, giving Republicans a majority in the State Senate for the first time since 1878. [1]

Contents

Retirements

Republicans

  1. District 12: John R. Russell retired.
  2. District 13: Charles Tyrone Courtney retired after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and making false statements in a loan application in June 2000. [2]

Democrats

  1. District 45: McKinley Washington Jr. retired.

Defeated incumbents

In general

Democrats

  1. District 9: James Edward Bryan Jr. lost re-election to Danny Verdin.

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. District 37, 2.50%
  2. District 33, 8.67%
  3. District 9, 8.99% (gain)

Results

District 1

District 1 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Thomas C. Alexander (incumbent) 21,380 99.87%
Scattering270.13%
Total votes21,407 100.0%
Republican hold

District 2

District 2 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Larry A. Martin (incumbent) 25,493 99.50%
Scattering1280.50%
Total votes25,621 100.0%
Republican hold

District 3

District 3 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Robert L. Waldrep Jr. (incumbent) 26,069 99.97%
Scattering80.03%
Total votes26,077 100.0%
Republican hold

District 4

District 4 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic William H. O'Dell (incumbent) 14,534 58.83%
Republican E. Blair Rice Jr.10,17141.17%
Total votes24,705 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 5

District 5 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Verne J. Smith [b] (incumbent) 17,081 78.21%
Republican Stacey B. Schaller4,65921.33%
Scattering1000.46%
Total votes21,840 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 6

District 6 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mike Fair (incumbent) 28,048 97.63%
Scattering6802.37%
Total votes28,728 100.0%
Republican hold

District 7

District 7 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ralph Anderson (incumbent) 14,417 63.99%
Republican Allen Bunk Johnson8,08335.88%
Scattering300.13%
Total votes22,530 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 8

District 8 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican David L. Thomas (incumbent) 32,720 88.53%
Democratic Al Hafer4,09711.09%
Scattering1390.38%
Total votes36,956 100.0%
Republican hold

District 9

District 9 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Danny Verdin 16,793 54.47%
Democratic James Edward Bryan Jr. (incumbent)14,02445.48%
Scattering160.05%
Total votes30,833 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 10

District 10 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John W. Drummond (incumbent) 16,021 59.33%
Republican Hunter Eddy10,97440.64%
Scattering70.03%
Total votes27,002 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 11

District 11 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Glenn G. Reese (incumbent) 13,120 57.84%
Republican Steve A. Parker9,55842.13%
Scattering70.03%
Total votes22,685 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 12

District 12 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John D. Hawkins 20,341 68.63%
Democratic Edgar M. Poole Jr.9,24331.23%
Scattering110.04%
Total votes29,595 100.0%
Republican hold

District 13

District 13 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican James H. Ritchie Jr. 18,708 66.41%
Democratic Brian K. Kennedy9,45533.56%
Scattering90.03%
Total votes28,172 100.0%
Republican hold

District 14

District 14 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Harvey S. Peeler Jr. (incumbent) 21,739 99.76%
Scattering520.24%
Total votes21,791 100.0%
Republican hold

District 15

District 15 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Robert W. Hayes Jr. (incumbent) 26,166 99.88%
Scattering300.12%
Total votes26,196 100.0%
Republican hold

District 16

District 16 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Greg Gregory (incumbent) 22,488 99.21%
Scattering1800.79%
Total votes22,668 100.0%
Republican hold

District 17

District 17 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Linda H. Short (incumbent) 19,585 82.99%
Republican Danny W. Parker4,01117.00%
Scattering30.01%
Total votes23,599 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 18

District 18 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican André Bauer (incumbent) 19,558 63.89%
Democratic Dave C. Waldrop Jr.11,04336.08%
Scattering80.03%
Total votes30,609 100.0%
Republican hold

District 19

District 19 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kay Patterson (incumbent) 22,391 99.04%
Scattering2180.96%
Total votes22,609 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 20

District 20 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Courson (incumbent) 21,624 60.23%
Democratic Tony Mizzell14,26339.72%
Scattering190.05%
Total votes35,906 100.0%
Republican hold

District 21

District 21 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Darrell Jackson (incumbent) 15,180 98.17%
Scattering2831.83%
Total votes15,463 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 22

District 22 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Warren Giese (incumbent) 22,764 55.86%
Democratic Toby Ward17,97444.10%
Scattering180.04%
Total votes40,756 100.0%
Republican hold

District 23

District 23 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Joe Wilson (incumbent) 35,241 100.0%
Total votes35,241 100.0%
Republican hold

District 24

District 24 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican W. Greg Ryberg (incumbent) 28,548 99.55%
Scattering1280.45%
Total votes28,676 100.0%
Republican hold

District 25

District 25 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tommy Moore (incumbent) 19,382 67.01%
Republican Robert G. Gossett9,54232.99%
Scattering10.00%
Total votes28,925 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 26

District 26 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Nikki G. Setzler (incumbent) 17,571 55.74%
Republican W. Gary Prince13,21341.91%
Scattering7422.35%
Total votes31,526 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 27

District 27 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Donald Holland (incumbent) 19,844 68.09%
Republican Bart Hayward9,27231.81%
Scattering300.10%
Total votes29,146 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 28

District 28 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Dick Elliott (incumbent) 21,923 99.68%
Scattering700.32%
Total votes21,993 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 29

District 29 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Edward Eli Saleeby (incumbent) 20,946 99.50%
Scattering1060.50%
Total votes21,052 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 30

District 30 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Maggie Wallace Glover (incumbent) 18,145 99.32%
Scattering1240.68%
Total votes18,269 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 31

District 31 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Hugh Leatherman (incumbent) 17,130 55.98%
Democratic Patsy Stone13,46744.01%
Scattering40.01%
Total votes30,601 100.0%
Republican hold

District 32

District 32 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Yancey McGill (incumbent) 22,372 100.0%
Total votes22,372 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 33

District 33 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Luke A. Rankin (incumbent) 17,811 54.33%
Republican Allan Clemmons14,96745.66%
Scattering30.01%
Total votes32,781 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 34

District 34 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Arthur Ravenel Jr. (incumbent) 30,078 99.79%
Scattering630.21%
Total votes30,141 100.0%
Republican hold

District 35

District 35 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Phil P. Leventis (incumbent) 15,102 59.84%
Republican Blane Lawson10,13340.16%
Total votes25,235 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 36

District 36 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John C. Land III (incumbent) 20,818 73.81%
Republican Gary McLeod7,38326.18%
Scattering20.01%
Total votes28,199 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 37

District 37 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Larry Grooms (incumbent) 15,970 51.21%
Democratic George Bailey15,18848.71%
Scattering250.08%
Total votes31,183 100.0%
Republican hold

District 38

District 38 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican William S. Branton (incumbent) 20,786 99.64%
Scattering750.36%
Total votes20,861 100.0%
Republican hold

District 39

District 39 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John W. Matthews Jr. (incumbent) 23,125 99.21%
Scattering1850.79%
Total votes23,310 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 40

District 40 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Brad Hutto (incumbent) 24,602 90.78%
Libertarian Jonathan M. Hare2,4569.06%
Scattering430.16%
Total votes27,101 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 41

District 41 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Glenn F. McConnell (incumbent) 27,739 99.82%
Scattering510.18%
Total votes27,790 100.0%
Republican hold

District 42

District 42 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Robert Ford (incumbent) 14,263 99.36%
Scattering920.64%
Total votes14,355 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 43

District 43 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ernie Passailaigue (incumbent) 8,330 61.60%
Republican Lanneau Siegling5,16638.21%
Scattering250.19%
Total votes13,521 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 44

District 44 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bill Mescher (incumbent) 23,889 99.90%
Scattering230.10%
Total votes23,912 100.0%
Republican hold

District 45

District 45 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Clementa C. Pinckney 20,088 62.95%
Republican Curtis Brantley11,80336.99%
Scattering200.06%
Total votes31,911 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 46

District 46 election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Scott Richardson (incumbent) 28,677 98.79%
Scattering3511.21%
Total votes29,028 100.0%
Republican hold

Notes

  1. ↑ Initially the Senate was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans until Democrat J. Verne Smith of District 5 switched parties, giving Republicans a majority.
  2. ↑ Switched parties to the Republicans following the election in order to break a tie between Democratic and Republican control of the chamber.

References

  1. ↑ "NOVEMBER 7,2000 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE WIDE GENERAL ELECTION - OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). scvotes.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Ex-senator gets 30 days And 10 months home detention Courtney Sentenced". goupstate.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
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