Dianne Mitchell

Last updated

On August 11, 2025, Republican incumbent Bobby Cox announced his resignation from the South Carolina House of Representative effective January 2026, in order to run for the seat of resigning senator Roger Nutt. [2] The special election was scheduled for December 23, 2025, with primaries on October 21. [3] [4]

Mitchell announced her candidacy for the seat on August 25, 2025. Among her endorsers:

Three other candidates filed to run for the SC House District 21 seat: Reggy Batson, small business owner and former firefighter; Steve Nail, Dean of Anderson University’s College of Business, and Jack Stott, chairman, Upstate Young Republicans.

On August 29, 2025, Cox suspended his campaign for the State Senate seat, citing business obligations. [6] [7]

Nail and Mitchell faced each other in the Republican Primary runoff, with Mitchell emerging the winner. [8] With no Democrat in the race, Mitchell won the seat in December. [9] [10] [11]

Party activism

Mitchell served as past chair of the Greenville Republican Women's Club. [12]

References

  1. Ashford, Adrian (2025-12-24). "Midlands pastor wins seat to succeed ex-Rep. RJ May in special Statehouse election • SC Daily Gazette". SC Daily Gazette. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  2. Nutt, Roger (August 11, 2025). "SC senator resigns seat following Alzheimer's diagnosis". South Carolina Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  3. "Special Election Results Archives". SC Votes - South Carolina Election Commission. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  4. Carpentier, Bella. "Greenville and Spartanburg counties to have special elections after lawmaker resignations". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  5. Howland, Mary Kate (2025-08-25). "Greenville native announces candidacy for state representative". Fox Carolina. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  6. "Bobby Cox Abruptly Suspends S.C. Senate Campaign - FITSNews". 2025-08-29. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  7. REPORT, STAFF (2025-08-30). "Bobby Cox withdraws from SC Senate District 12 race". GreerNews.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  8. Atkinson, Macon (2025-11-04). "Dianne Mitchell wins in special election runoff in Upstate House 21 Republican primary". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  9. Scott, Tyler (2025-10-21). "ELECTION RESULTS: SC Senate District 12, House District 21 primaries". Fox Carolina. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
  10. Martin, Isabel (November 4, 2025). "Dianne Mitchell wins South Carolina House District 21 Primary runoff". WSPA-TV. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  11. Schechter, Maayan (2025-10-22). "Unofficial results: Lee Bright wins GOP bid to reclaim SC Senate seat, House races go to runoffs". South Carolina Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
  12. Llerena, Rey (2025-11-05). "Dianne Mitchell leads SC House District 21 runoff, recount likely". WYFF. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
Dianne Mitchell
Member of the South CarolinaHouseofRepresentatives
from the 21st district
Assumed office
January 2026