Bright Matthews wins runoff, will face Republican Alberto Fernandez in special election
Democrat Margie Bright Matthews, a Walterboro attorney, will face Republican Alberto Fernandez in the October special election to replace slain state Sen. Clementa Pinckney.
Bright Matthews soundly defeated sitting state Rep. Kenneth Hodges, D-Green Pond, on Tuesday night in a special election primary runoff for the Democratic nomination in the state Senate District 45 race.
Bright Matthews captured 56.2 percent of the nearly 6,950 votes cast, according to the S.C. Election Commission. Hodges captured 43.8 percent of the votes.
| Candidate | Allendale | Beaufort | Charleston | Colleton | Hampton | Jasper | TOTAL | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth F Hodges | 160 | 908 | 586 | 483 | 276 | 627 | 3,040 | 43.8% |
| Margie Bright Matthews | 173 | 160 | 427 | 1,001 | 1,164 | 981 | 3,906 | 56.2% |
Attempts to reach both Bright Matthews and Hodges late Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
In a statement issued by email just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Bright Matthews thanked voters and the family of Pinckney, who was gunned down at his Charleston church in June, along with eight of his parishioners.
"I want to thank the family of Sen. Clementa Pinckney," she said in the statement. "Five months ago, our community was shocked and deeply hurt by the hateful acts that made this election necessary. Your leadership and example has inspired the Lowountry, our state and the entire country. I will continue to strive to follow in the example of Senator Pinckney during this campaign and as a state senator."
Bright Matthews overwhelmingly won Colleton and Hampton counties by nearly 1,300 more votes than Hodges in those two counties combined, according to elections results.
Hodges, the pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaufort, won 85 percent of the vote in Beaufort County with 908 of the 1,068 votes cast here, according to elections results.
Hodges had hoped to follow in the footsteps of his friend, Pinckney, D-Ridgeland, who also was elected to the seat three times after serving in the S.C. House.
Hodges can retain his seat representing S.C. House District 121 in Beaufort and Colleton counties following Tuesday's loss.
Hodges and Bright Matthews emerged from the Democratic primary on Sept. 1 separated by fewer than 200 votes of the more than 5,000 cast for them.
In the weeks since, however, public records have raised questions about whether either live full-time in District 45.
Tax records also show that Bright Matthews has not paid property taxes in Colleton County since 2013. She and her husband, Patrick, owe at least $4,500 in 2013 and 2014 property taxes on at least six properties listed under their names on county tax rolls.
If Bright Matthews and her husband do not pay those bills by the first week of October, the properties could wind up in Colleton County's annual delinquent tax sale.
That's in addition to the pending loss of the couple's home on Jones Swamp Road, which was sold at Colleton County's delinquent tax sale in December after they failed to pay two years of taxes on it, county tax collector Larry Lightsey has said. If the couple doesn't pay $6,200.80 in owed taxes and penalties to redeem the property, its deed will be turned over to the winning bidder in December.
Bright Matthews, who owns her own law firm, contends her personal finances are not relevant to her would-be duties as a legislator.
Follow reporter Zach Murdock on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach and on Facebook at facebook.com/IPBGZach.
Related content:
- Senate District 45 candidates' election paperwork raises questions about home addresses, Sept. 5, 2015
- Bright Matthews late on property taxes, home sold at tax sale, Sept. 5, 2015
- Democrats Hodges, Bright Matthews advance to runoff in special election to replace slain Sen. Clementa Pinckney, Sept. 2, 2015
This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Bright Matthews wins runoff, will face Republican Alberto Fernandez in special election."