Political newcomer wins GOP primary over lawmaker in special election for SC Senate seat
Political newcomer and car salesman Mike Reichenbach won the Republican primary Tuesday night to fill the unexpired term of the Florence County Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Hugh Leatherman.
Reichenbach defeated state Rep. Jay Jordan, R-Florence, 6,256 votes to 5,756 votes in Tuesday’s GOP primary, according to unofficial results. Reichenbach received 52% of the vote to Jordan’s 48%.
Reichenbach will face Democratic candidate Suzanne La Rochelle in a March 29 special election for the Senate District 31 seat, which pays $10,400 a year plus per diem.
“While the first half is complete, we will continue to work extremely hard to earn the trust and votes of our neighbors for the General Election,” Reichenbach said in a statement Tuesday night, shortly after Jordan conceded.
Jordan’s campaign said Tuesday that he “offered him his support and told him he looks forward to helping him ensure a Republican represents Florence” in the Senate.
“Tonight, didn’t go the way we wanted, but there will be other days and other races, and — above all else — still a lifetime’s worth of opportunities for Jay to continue serving his friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens of Florence,” the campaign said.
The seat is projected to stay a Republican-led district.
In 2020, former president Donald Trump won the district 58% to 40% over President Joe Biden.
The Senate District 31 seat opened in November after Leatherman, the longtime Senate Finance Committee chairman who held the seat for more than 40 years, died on Nov. 12 at age 90.
If Reichenbach wins in March, he will become the only Black Republican in the Senate, which currently has 11 Black senators.
The short campaign led to a sprint to raise a lot of money quickly.
Both candidates raised thousands of dollars — one of whom spent some of his money — for their primary election.
Reichenbach, a car dealership owner, spent $100,000 of his own money, and took out an additional loan of $150,000, his fundraising report showed. He raised just under $48,000 from about 120 donors.
Jordan, an attorney who chairs the House Ethics Committee, raised $180,000 from more than 230 donors, according to his fundraising report.
Both campaigns also launched large media ad buys on television and radio, spending a combined more than $240,000, according to ad tracker firm Ad Impact.
Reichenbach outspent Jordan for airtime by a nearly 2-to-1 airtime margin.
Jordan’s campaign bought more than $80,000 worth of airtime, while Reichenbach’s campaign spent more than $154,000. Among his ad buyers was the South Carolina Conservatives Fund for more than $6,400, according to Ad Impact.
This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 8:30 PM.
