SC Senate races in Beaufort, Jasper counties have results. Here’s who won

This report has been updated with the results of the S.C. Senate District 43 race.

Beaufort and Jasper County’s Senate delegation is returning to the South Carolina legislature intact in January.

The senators representing the two Lowcountry counties — Republican Tom Davis and Democrat Margie Bright Matthews — easily won reelection early Wednesday morning, according to complete but unofficial returns. Results in District 43, delayed late Tuesday by Charleston’s late ballots, show that Republican George “Chip” Campsen also won handily.

Mail-in absentee ballots were still being counted in Beaufort County, said Marie Smalls, director of the county’s Board of Elections and Voter Registration. Smalls confirmed late Tuesday that some election results may be change with the reporting of those ballots.

District 46

S.C. Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican, held his District 46 seat with 68.59% of the vote Wednesday morning. Davis defeated Democratic challenger Nathan Campbell, a teacher at May River High School, who received 31.34% of votes.

Davis, of Beaufort, was first elected to the S.C. Senate in 2009. He previously served as former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s senior policy advisor, co-chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and chief of staff from 2003 to 2007.

Davis told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that increasing state funding for local education, improving infrastructure and increasing access to affordable healthcare were the biggest issues facing his constituents this year.

Called early Wednesday morning, Davis said he was “impressed with the hard race” Campbell ran.

“It’s always good when voters have a choice,” he said. “I’m very honored to be going back to Columbia and representing the people of Beaufort and Jasper counties.”

District 46 includes portions of both of those counties.

District 43

Republican S.C. Sen. George “Chip” Campsen defeated Democratic challenger Richard Hricik in the District 43 S.C. Senate race early Wednesday morning. Campsen received 56.9% of the vote to Hricik’s 43.1%.

Campsen, of Charleston, was first elected to the S.C. Senate in 2005. He previously served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2002.

He previously told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that safely reopening the economy and “our society” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest issue facing his constituents this year. He said a statewide mask requirement “with appropriate and reasonable exceptions” should have been in place “for some time.”

Hricik, a Mount Pleasant attorney, previously said he would support a statewide mask mandate because “mask wearing works to reduce the virus spread.” However, he said he would not support a “full lockdown” unless there is “some sort of incredibly explosive outbreak.”

District 43 includes Beaufort, Charleston and Colleton counties.

District 45

S.C. Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, a Democrat, won Tuesday night in her District 45 reelection bid against Republican Rodney Buncum. Bright Matthews received 59.5% of the vote to Buncum’s 40.5%.

Bright Matthews, of Walterboro, was first elected in 2015 to fill the unexpired term of Clementa C. Pinckney, who was killed during the 2015 mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

Buncum, of John’s Island, was a first-time candidate.

District 45 covers portions of Allendale, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.

This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 1:26 AM.