SC Senate Democrats poised to choose next leader after election night blow
South Carolina’s 16 Senate Democrats are poised to elect a new leader for the first time in eight years after suffering an election night blow that saw three of their members lose seats to Republicans.
Those familiar with the Senate Democratic Caucus’ thinking told The State Monday that the Tuesday afternoon vote, including where each individual senator will land, has hardly been resolved, potentially ending in a 50-50 tie that’ll require some maneuvering to get senators to change their votes.
At the center of the debate for senators is who will lead the caucus in what could be a tumultuous next few years in which the Legislature is slated to debate legislation from abortion to reapportionment and rules changes that are more favorable to Republicans.
But it’s also about personality, and who is able to build a consensus within a sometimes fractured caucus and work across the aisle.
“You don’t want the South Carolina Senate to be like Washington,” said state Sen. John Scott, D-Richland. “We’ve got to learn how to work together and once the election is over, it’s over.”
The pool of serious contenders has shrunk in the few days since Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, a Lexington Democrat who is the Senate’s longest-serving lawmaker, said he would not seek reelection to the party’s chief post.
“Nikki Setzler did a fantastic job, and he had the uniqueness of being very well liked and respected, someone that we all felt had the institutional experience and knowledge to lead the caucus during some tough issues,” said state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland.
State Sens. Brad Hutto and Gerald Malloy are at the list’s top, followed by Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Colleton, who said she would seek the position. All three serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where each could play a major role in helping to shape the Democrats’ strategy in the state’s upcoming battle over redistricting.
Hutto, 63, of Orangeburg, and Malloy, 59, of Darlington, are both known as savvy trial lawyers each bringing a depth of legislative knowledge and ability to broker with Republicans. Hutto has been in the Senate for 24 years compared with Malloy’s 18 years.
Hutto’s appeal, some said, would be his ability to steer a ship through rocky waters, offering the caucus stability with his laid-back personality. Malloy’s election, others said, would be a much bolder move and the chance to make a big change from the leadership of the past who also is well known for his superior knowledge of Senate rules.
Bright Matthews, 57, described as someone who can cut through the noise, also would bring racial diversity to the post. But unlike Hutto and Malloy, she does not have similar years of legislative experience since being elected in a 2015 special election to fill the term of the late Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who was murdered by a white supremacist.
State Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield, said this election is pivotal for his colleagues: “... Combined with the fact of recent losses in our party, we need to try something bold, try something different and maybe we need to be the change we want to see.”
