At least 13 SC House members are retiring as candidate filing opens for 2022 elections
At least 13 members of the South Carolina House plan to retire this year, with another batch of Democratic incumbents poised to run head-to-head in the June primaries.
The high-profile departures include two prominent Republicans and a Midlands-area lawmaker, who was first elected to the chamber in 1999.
Of the 124 seats, two are vacant, with elections to fill those positions based in Greenville County and Berkeley, Colleton and Dorchester counties scheduled for May.
South Carolina candidate filing opened Wednesday for House seats, the governor’s office and other statewide offices, marking the start of the two-week period when candidates can file to run in the November elections.
Filing closes March 30.
With 13 incumbents out and possibly more to announce or decline to run, the Legislature’s lower chamber is set to look very different in 2023.
Here’s what to know:
At least 13 SC lawmakers won’t seek reelection
So far, 13 of the House chamber’s members told The State they will not seek reelection in November. Others did not file for reelection by closing Wednesday afternoon.
That’s on top of two vacancies already present in the House after Republican Reps. Mandy Kimmons, R-Dorchester, and Tommy Stringer, R-Greenville, resigned last year.
House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, and House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-York, are among the biggest names so far who’ve announced they won’t run for reelection, leaving a major power vacuum in their wake.
With two of the most powerful players at the State House stepping down after this session, there will be a shuffle of positions and chairmanships ahead of 2023.
The chamber won’t elect a new speaker until the fall, but many this week speculated the role will go to House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, R-Sumter.
Meanwhile, freshman state Rep. Sandy McGarry, R-Lancaster, will not run for her seat after her district was merged with Republican Rep. Richie Yow of Chesterfield County. Upstate Reps. Garry Smith, R-Greenville, Leola Robinson, D-Greenville, and Jonathon Hill, R-Anderson, are not running for reelection.
“After eight years in office, Amanda and I need a break,” Hill told The State in a text message. “I’m not leaving politics, and will continue doing what I’ve been doing outside of office.”
Hill is the only Republican not a member of the House Republican Caucus after he was suspended in 2019 for “erroneous and hostile attacks,” leadership said.
State Reps. Bruce Bryant, R-York, and Joe Daning, R-Berkeley, both told The State they won’t be running either.
State Reps. Williams Cogswell, R-Charleston, and Steve Moss, R-Cherokee, did not file for reelection by deadline March 30.
And, in the Midlands, state Rep. Chip Huggins, R-Lexington, announced this week he will retire after a 23-year legislative career.
“We’ve been blessed, and I cannot thank my community of Chapin and Irmo enough for allowing me to serve for as long as we have,” Huggins told The State, adding he’s most proud of passing legislation to make Narcan available to counter act overdoses and extending no-wake zones on lakes.
“We certainly appreciate it, but I think it’s time for me to retire out of this and let some other folks have the opportunity,” he said.
State Rep. Russell Fry, who stepped down as House Republican whip to run for Congress in the 7th District, will not keep his House seat after this year. Fry, of Horry County, is challenging U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach. Fry was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and appeared at a rally with him last weekend.
State Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, announced Friday he will run for state education superintendent, and will not run for his House seat that was redrawn in the new political map.
Some lawmakers’ intentions for 2022 reelection are still unknown.
State Rep. Rick Martin, R-Newberry, who was suspended in December after he was indicted on charges of misconduct in office and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, has filed to run again.
Two Republican candidates, who are Newberry County-area business owners, have already lined up to run for Martin’s seat.
Additionally, three lawmakers were unable to be reached by The State.
Redistricting pits incumbents against each other
The once-in-a-decade redrawing of the state’s political maps has forced some House members into districts held by their colleagues, setting up primary races between incumbents.
In most cases, the incumbent lawmakers vying for the same seat will be Democrats, giving Republicans the likely chance to keep or possibly grow their majority ahead of the 2023 session.
In Richland County, lawmakers combined House Districts 70 and 80, represented by Democratic state Reps. Wendy Brawley and Jermaine Johnson, respectively. Both have announced their intentions to run against each other this year.
State Reps. Roger Kirby, D-Florence, and Cezar McKnight, D-Williamsburg, also were drawn into the same district. Both plan to run again.
And Reps. Vic Dabney, R-Kershaw, and House Majority Whip Brandon Newton, R-Lancaster, were both drawn into the new District 45. Dabney, however, moved into District 52 after the new map was finalized, meaning he will not have to face off with Newton.
Other lawmakers have chosen to give up their seats to avoid running against their colleague.
McGarry said she will not run for the District 53 seat against Yow, who has filed to seek reelection.
Democratic state Reps. Govan and Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, were both drawn into the new District 93. Ott said he’ll seek reelection this year, and Govan announced Friday he will not run for the House.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 2:09 PM.
