2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina explained

Election Name:2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Country:South Carolina
Type:presidential
Ongoing:Yes
Previous Election:2004 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Previous Year:2004
Next Election:2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina
Next Year:2014
(special)
Election Date:November 2, 2010
Image1:File:Jim DeMint headshot.jpg
Nominee1:Jim DeMint
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:810,771
Percentage1:61.48%
Nominee2:Alvin Greene
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:364,598
Percentage2:27.65%
Image3:3x4.svg
Nominee3:Tom Clements
Party3:Green Party (United States)
Popular Vote3:121,472
Percentage3:9.21%
Map Size:230px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Jim DeMint
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Jim DeMint[1]
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim DeMint won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Alvin Greene. However, DeMint did not serve out the full term to which he was elected; he resigned in 2013 to become president of The Heritage Foundation.[2]

As of 2023, this is the last election in which one of the two major parties' nominees for this Senate seat was not a person of color.

Democratic primary

On June 8, 2010, Alvin Greene won the South Carolina Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, receiving 100,362 (59%) votes out of 170,215 votes cast; 69,853 (41%) went to Vic Rawl.[3] Greene's victory over Rawl, a Charleston County councilmember and former state legislator,[4] was described as an upset.[5] [6]

Candidates

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Controversies surrounded the Democratic nominee, Alvin Greene. At the time of his Senate campaign, Greene was unemployed and living with and caring for his father[9] in Manning, South Carolina.[10] Greene's primary election win and his margin of victory surprised pundits. As of the primary, he had held no public campaign events, raised no money, and did not have a campaign website.[11]

U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn recommended Greene drop out of the race or face a federal investigation into his candidacy, even as Greene faced a felony obscenity charge in Richland County from November 2009. Clyburn said, "There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary. I don't know if he was a Republican plant; he was someone's plant."[12] Political blog FiveThirtyEight's Tom Schaller suggested three possibilities: a legitimate vote, the vote was rigged, or the vote-counting software was corrupted. Schaller ruled out the possibility of Republican infiltration, similar to Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" in 2008.[13]

In response to an official protest filed by Vic Rawl, who was defeated by Greene in the Democratic primary, the executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party conducted a formal hearing on June 17, 2010, to assess the legitimacy of the primary election results.[14] [15] Greene neither attended nor sent a representative to the hearing.[14] The executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party voted 55 to 10 to reject Rawl's request for a new Senate primary,[16] [17] finding insufficient evidence of impropriety to disturb the primary election result.[16] [17] [18] [19]

At multiple points during the campaign, the South Carolina Democratic Party called for Greene to withdraw his candidacy. In August 2010, South Carolina Democratic Party chairwoman Carol Fowler asserted that the criminal charges against Greene would make it impossible for him to run a statewide campaign.[20]

Green Party challenger Tom Clements won the endorsement of the Greater Columbia Central Labor Council of the South Carolina AFL-CIO, a coalition of labor unions.[21] The Clements campaign received regional media coverage.[22] A Winthrop University poll conducted between October 5 and 10, 741 likely South Carolina voters found Clements running second with 12.2% of the vote against 11.2% for Greene and 58.3% for incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint.[23] [24] An October 13 article in the Columbia Free Times noted that prominent Democrats were privately donating money to the Clements campaign.[25] According to the FEC, as of September 30, Clements for Senate had raised $34,334. DeMint had raised in excess of $3 million, while Greene reported no fundraising activities.[26]

Write-in candidates also joined the race, including the Reverend Mazie Ferguson,[27] Mauldin High School teacher Greg Snoad,[28] [29] [30] Michael C Neumann, and chef Nathalie Dupree.[31] Mazie Ferguson was endorsed by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn in late August; Clyburn said he would not vote for Greene due to his felony indictment.[32]

Greene has been described as an enigmatic figure in American politics.[33] [34] He is known for his "strange, well-documented behavior on the campaign trail".[35] A study by the Pew Research Center released in late July 2010 found that Greene's campaign had received the most media attention of all of the 2010 political campaigns.[36]

The Republican candidate, incumbent Senator Jim DeMint, largely campaigned outside South Carolina for Republican Senate candidates identified with the Tea Party.[37] Diverse media outlets frequently referred to DeMint as a party "kingmaker" for supporting successful primary challengers to mainstream Republican candidates.[38] [39] [40]

At an October 3 appearance before a rally at Spartanburg North Baptist Church, DeMint reminded the audience of his 2004 comments that gay men and sexually active single women should be prohibited from teaching in public schools.[41] [42] [43] The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported:

The remarks attracted national media attention, largely critical.[44] DeMint defended the statements, saying that local school boards should decide the issue.[45] Challenger Tom Clements condemned DeMint's stance in a subsequent interview with the Herald-Journal:

"He's trying to push his version of religion onto the entire country. And I believe in separation of church and state. And I do believe that gay people should have equal rights," Clements said. "That's his belief, but I don't think he can force that on society as a whole or the public school system."[46]

Endorsements

Organization endorsements

Tom Clements:

Jim DeMint

Newspaper endorsements

Tom Clements:

Jim DeMint:

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Cook Political Report[55] October 26, 2010
Rothenberg[56] October 22, 2010
RealClearPolitics[57] October 26, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball[58] October 21, 2010
CQ Politics[59] October 26, 2010

Polling

Poll sourceDates administeredJim DeMint (R)Alvin Greene (D)Tom Clements (G)OtherUndecided
Rasmussen Reports[60] June 10, 201058%21%––9%13%
Rasmussen Reports[61] August 3, 201062%20%––7%10%
Rasmussen Reports[62] August 25, 201063%19%––8%10%
Rasmussen Reports[63] September 22, 201064%21%––10%5%
Crantford & Associates[64] October 2, 201058%21%––10%5%
Winthrop University[65] October 5–10, 201058%11%12%[66] 3%14%
Rasmussen Reports[67] October 19, 201058%21%––15%6%

Fundraising

Candidate (party)ReceiptsDisbursementsCash on handDebt
Jim DeMint (R)$3,521,210$2,915,717$2,224,594$0
Alvin Greene (D)$0$0$0$0
Tom Clements (G)$45,131$20,216$24,915$0
Source: Federal Election Commission[68]

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

External links

Official campaign websites (Archived)

Notes and References

  1. News: Jim DeMint Defeats Alvin Greene In South Carolina Senate Race . Huffingtonpost.com . November 2, 2010 . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101107161926/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/02/jim-demint-defeats-alvin-greene-south-carolina_n_767436.html . November 7, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  2. Web site: Sen. Jim DeMint Leaving Congress To Run Heritage Foundation . Mark Memmott . December 6, 2012 . npr.org . NPR . December 30, 2021.
  3. South Carolina State Election Commission. Official election results. Note: scroll down or page through the list to find the results for the Democratic Senate primary. US Senate Results (Dem). June 14, 2010.
  4. Web site: Senate candidate Vic Rawl asks for primary redo. Meg. Kinnard. Associated. Press. June 15, 2010. SFGate.
  5. Web site: Rawl may protest unlikely loss to Greene. David. Catanese. POLITICO.
  6. Web site: Greene's Primary Opponent Calls for Investigation of Election Results. March 26, 2015. Fox News.
  7. Web site: SC - Election Results. www.enr-scvotes.org.
  8. http://www.scvotes.org/files/2010%20Convention%20Party%20Candidates.pdf Green, Libertarian, Working Families, Labor, Constitution, United Citizens, Independence
  9. Wolfe, Wes. http://www.wolfereports.com/tag/alvin-greene/ Strange happenings in the Dem senatorial primary. Wolfe Reports. May 21, 2010.
  10. Hutchins, Corey. A Phantom Candidate for U.S. Senate? Free Times. Issue #23.20 :: May 19, 2010 – May 25, 2010
  11. Web site: David . Catanese . Experts review S.C. Senate ballots . Politico.Com . June 11, 2010 . June 14, 2010.
  12. The curious case of Alvin Greene, surprise Senate candidate . Christian Science Monitor . June 11, 2010 . CSMonitor.com . June 14, 2010.
  13. Web site: Schaller . Tom . Politics Done Right: SC Democratic Primary Getting Weirder By The Hour . FiveThirtyEight . June 14, 2010 . June 14, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100614094954/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/06/sc-democratic-primary-getting-weirder.html . dead .
  14. Kinnard, Meg (June 17, 2010) "SC Dems hearing protest over US Senate primary", The Associated Press. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  15. O'Donnell, Kelly (June 16, 2010) "SC Dems to hold hearing on Greene tomorrow", MSNBC.com. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  16. Capehart, Jonathan (June 18, 2010) News: Green light for Alvin Greene's senate run . The Washington Post., The Washington Post. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  17. Washington, Wayne (June 18, 2010) "Democrats uphold Greene’s nomination for Senate", The State.com. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  18. Kinnard, Meg. "SC Dems uphold US Senate primary shocker", The Associated Press. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  19. Toeplitz, Shira (June 18, 2010) "S.C. Dems reject Rawl appeal", Politico. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  20. Web site: Alvin Greene Howls After Obscenity Indictment Raised In Interview (VIDEO). Elyse. Siegel. August 16, 2010. HuffPost.
  21. Web site: SC Black News Staff Writer . Unions Endorse US Senate Green Party Candidate Tom Clements . SCBlacknews.com . July 15, 2010 . July 18, 2010 . June 18, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110618133254/http://www.scblacknews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=768:unions-endorse-us-senate-green-party-candidate-tom-clements&catid=1 . dead .
  22. http://www.columbiacitypaper.com/2010/10/06/and-in-the-third-corner And in the Third Corner…An interview with Tom Clements, Green Party Candidate for U.S. Senate
  23. http://www.winthrop.edu/news-events/article.aspx?id=13440 Winthrop Poll Shows Haley Ahead and Other Opinions by S.C. Voters
  24. http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/wupoll/ResultsOct2010WinthropPollOnline.pdf Winthrop Poll Shows Haley Ahead and Other Opinions by S.C. Voters
  25. News: Democrats Step Out for Clements — Quietly . October 13, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101030064537/http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064017974&ShowArticle_ID=12241210102712618 . October 30, 2010 . Corey Hutchins . Columbia Free Times . 23 . 41.
  26. http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/HSRefreshCandList.do?category=stateS_all&stateName=SC&election_yr=2010 2010 House and Senate Campaign Finance for South Carolina
  27. Web site: James . Gilbert . Write-In Candidate to Challenge DeMint, Greene, Clements . WTLX.com . August 9, 2010 . August 27, 2010.
  28. News: New Candidate in South Carolina Race? . CNN.com . September 6, 2010 . September 6, 2010 . September 7, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100907185935/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/06/new-senate-candidate-in-south-carolina-race/ . dead .
  29. Web site: WYFF4.com . Gray Court Man Jumps Into Senate Race . wyff4.com . September 6, 2010.
  30. Web site: Mauldin High School . Welcome to Mauldin High School.
  31. News: Seelye . Katharine Q. . Nathalie Dupree to Jump Into South Carolina Senate Race - NYTimes.com . Thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com . September 30, 2010 . January 24, 2011.
  32. News: The Associated Press . Clyburn won't vote for Dem nominee in Senate race . https://web.archive.org/web/20100827193359/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38856796/ns/politics . live . August 27, 2010 . August 25, 2010 . August 27, 2010.
  33. News: SEELYE. KATHARINE Q.. Enigmatic Jobless Man Prepares Senate Campaign. The New York Times. July 10, 2010.
  34. News: Kinnard. Meg. Alvin Greene, Enigmatic South Carolina Senate Candidate, To Make First Public Speech. Huffington Post. 19 March 2013. July 12, 2010.
  35. Alvin Greene Documentarians Have Their Work Cut Out for Them. Juli . Weiner . July 29, 2010. Vanity Fair.
  36. News: Davis . Susan . Alvin Greene Gets Most Media Attention - Washington Wire - WSJ . Blogs.wsj.com . July 26, 2010 . August 21, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100828092959/https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/07/26/alvin-greene-gets-most-media-attention/ . August 28, 2010 . live .
  37. http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003752959 DeMint Transfers Campaign Money to State Republicans
  38. http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/09/19/1702385/call-him-the-kingmaker.html Jim DeMint: Call him the kingmaker. S.C.'s DeMint a star on the rise
  39. https://web.archive.org/web/20100919012107/http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2010/db20100916_472765.htm DeMint Vaults From Back Bench to Republican Kingmaker: While Sarah Palin gets most of the attention for having helped numerous unlikely candidates win Republican primaries this year, DeMint emerged as an even bigger force
  40. http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/25/jim-demint-conservative-kingmaker-or-inside-the-beltway-inter Jim DeMint: Conservative 'Kingmaker' or Inside-the-Beltway Interloper?
  41. http://www.wistv.com/global/Story.asp?s=2380660 Tenenbaum, DeMint exchange unpleasantries on social security, taxes, gay teachers
  42. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6267835 Meet The Press. Transcript for October 17, 2004
  43. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/02/demint-gays-unmarried-pregnant-women-teachers_n_748131.html Sen. Jim DeMint: Gays And Unmarried, Pregnant Women Should Not Teach Public School
  44. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20018607-503544.html Jim DeMint Criticized Over Comments on Gay and Sexually Active Teachers
  45. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/10/05/DeMint-defends-no-gay-teachers-comment/UPI-50801286300806 DeMint defends 'no gay teachers'
  46. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20101005/ARTICLES/10051011/1083/ARTICLES Clements criticizes DeMint on gay teacher issue: Opponent for Senate blasts incumbent for stance on who is fit to teach
  47. Web site: Endorsements - Politics . Sierra Club . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110116122913/http://www.sierraclub.org/politics/endorsements/ . January 16, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  48. Web site: Unions Endorse US Senate Green Party Candidate Tom Clements . Scblacknews.com . July 15, 2010 . January 24, 2011.
  49. Web site: FoE Action . Action.foe.org . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101206025614/http://action.foe.org/t/4064/content.jsp?content_KEY=3339 . December 6, 2010 . dead .
  50. Web site: National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund NRA-PVF Endorses Jim DeMint for U.S. Senate in South Carolina . Nrapvf.org . September 24, 2010 . January 24, 2011.
  51. Web site: Illegal Immigration: Americans Fighting Back . ALIPAC - ALIPAC 2010 Endorsements for US Congress and Senate . Alipac.us . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101222220925/http://www.alipac.us/2010_campaign_endorsements.html . December 22, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  52. Web site: Rock Hill Herald: Tom Clements for US Senate: Green Party candidate Tom Clements offers a viable alternative in this race. October 30, 2010 . Heraldonline.com . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110106074348/http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/10/30/2572265/clements-for-senate.html . January 6, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  53. Web site: OPINION: Spratt, Clyburn, DeMint deserve reelection . SCNOW . January 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101203171230/http://www2.scnow.com//news//2010//oct//24//opinion-spratt-clyburn-demint-deserve-reelection-ar-999242// . December 3, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  54. Web site: Re-elect fiscal hawk DeMint The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment . Postandcourier.com . October 29, 2010 . January 24, 2011 .
  55. Web site: Senate . . October 26, 2010.
  56. Web site: Senate Ratings . . October 26, 2010.
  57. Web site: Battle for the Senate . . October 26, 2010.
  58. Web site: 2010 Senate Ratings . . October 26, 2010 . October 28, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028092918/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/category/2010-senate/ . dead .
  59. Web site: Race Ratings Chart: Senate . . October 26, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028234525/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-senate . October 28, 2010 .
  60. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/toplines/toplines_south_carolina_senate_june_10_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  61. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/election_2010_south_carolina_senate Rasmussen Reports
  62. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/toplines/toplines_south_carolina_senate_august_25_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  63. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/toplines/toplines_south_carolina_senate_september_22_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  64. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/toplines/toplines_south_carolina_senate_september_22_2010 Crantford & Associates
  65. http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/wupoll/ResultsOct2010WinthropPollOnline.pdf Winthrop University
  66. Web site: Catherine H . January 24, 2011.
  67. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/south_carolina/questions_south_carolina_senate_october_19_2010 Rasmussen Reports
  68. Web site: 2010 House and Senate Campaign Finance for South Carolina . fec.gov . October 18, 2010 . . Next F.E.C. reports are due October 15, 2010.

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