25-year-old Republican wins GOP bid for state House seat from Lexington County

In a race pitting a young conservative voice against an experienced local politician, voters picked the newcomer.

Following a close primary, the 25-year-old candidate from Red Bank, Hunter Hackett, won the GOP nomination in Tuesday’s runoff and will likely fill Rep. Ryan McCabe’s state House seat after beating his opponent, former Lexington County Council member Scotty Whetstone, by a wide margin.

With a campaign built on “not being too idealistic,” Hackett joked as results came in.

“A speech? I didn’t prepare anything. You know, maybe I wasn’t as hopeful as everybody else was.”

Moments later, Hackett was brought to tears. He crossed the small community center off Fairview Road to hug his grandmother as friends, family and Lexington residents celebrated at an election watch party in Leesville.

“Since we won the primary, November should be a knock it out of the park,” Hackett said.

Hackett secured the win after receiving former district Rep. Ryan McCabe’s endorsement Friday. McCabe, who held the office for three consecutive terms, said he felt strongly that Hackett would best serve House District 96.

“I also know Hunter to be solidly conservative,” McCabe wrote in a Facebook post. “We can count on him to stand up for the taxpayers and our conservative values.”

With the area strongly favoring Republicans, the Democratic candidate will have trouble beating Hackett in November. If elected, he would be among the youngest serving members of the state House, a generational shift from McCabe.

Hackett’s 67% of the vote was enough to defeat Whetstone, who spent eight years on the Lexington County Council, including three as chairman. With all 15 precincts reporting, Hackett had 1,525 votes to Whetstone’s 741, based on unofficial results.

Both candidates hold socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion rights and support for Second Amendment protections. Hackett, who has not held elected office, entered the race as a newer conservative voice, while Whetstone had an established name and political network in Lexington County.

Hackett told The State on Monday that his age brings “fresh ideas and a certain type of energy.”

He plans to work closely with local and municipal governments to address responsible growth and other concerns raised by Lexington residents, Hackett said.

After Whetstone conceded, he told The State that he plans to support Democratic candidate Vivian Elston in November.

“She brings more to the table for District 96,” Whetstone said. “I’ve always been a Republican and always will be, but I believe people can vote split party.”

Whetstone, who said he worked closely with McCabe as a council member and has a good relationship with the former representative, said McCabe’s endorsement is “more of a returned favor.”

Whetstone said Hackett helped in McCabe’s campaign before.

“I have the track record working with Ryan, where he worked for Ryan,” Whetstone said.

Hackett, who said the endorsement “set an example,” raised both arms in victory as unofficial results rolled in, and it became clear he would face Democratic candidate Vivian Elston in November.