Election season isn’t over. Daughter of former senator, state rep bid for SC Senate

Just when you thought it was over, election season in South Carolina is back on.

A Greenville city councilwoman and daughter of a former state senator said Monday that she will run for the S.C. Senate seat vacated by the election of state Sen. William Timmons to the U.S. House.

Amy Ryberg Doyle announced her bid for Greenville County’s Senate District 6 seat. She will run as a Republican.

State Rep. Dwight Loftis, R-Greenville, also announced a bid for the seat Monday, the Greenville News reports. Loftis has represented the 19th District in the S.C. House since 1996.

“As a mother of four, a wife of 20 years, a successful business owner and experienced public servant, I am ready to go to work keeping our community a great place to live, work and raise families,” Doyle said in her announcement.

If elected, Doyle would succeed Timmons, a first-term senator who resigned his seat Friday. Timmons, R-Greenville, was elected to Congress last week in South Carolina’s 4th District, succeeding U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-Spartanburg.

Doyle is the daughter of former state Sen. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, who was in the state’s upper chamber from 1993 to 2013.

Timmons’ resignation triggered a special election for the District 6 state Senate seat. Filing for candidates will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 8. Primaries will be held Jan. 22, 2019, with a primary runoff, if needed, on Feb. 5. The general election will be March 26.

The legislative session starts in January, meaning the Greenville Senate seat will be vacant for 2 1/2 months. The session ends in May.

This story was originally published November 12, 2018 at 11:50 AM.