South Carolina Senate Explained

South Carolina State Senate
Legislature:South Carolina General Assembly
Coa Pic:Seal of the South Carolina Senate.webp
Coa Caption:Seal of the South Carolina Senate
Session Room:South Carolina State Senate chamber IMG_4757.JPG
House Type:Upper House
Term Limits:None
New Session:January 9, 2024
Leader7:John O. Wienges
Leader8:"Chuck" D. Williams, Jr.
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Thomas C. Alexander (R)
Election1:December 6, 2021
Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Leader3:A. Shane Massey (R)
Election3:April 6, 2016
Leader4 Type:Minority Leader
Leader4:Brad Hutto (D)
Leader5:Jeffrey S. Gossett
Leader6:Kenneth M. Moffitt
Election4:November 17, 2020
Leader5 Type:Clerk
Election5:January 9, 2001
Leader6 Type:Assistant Clerk
Election6:September 2, 2014
Leader7 Type:Reading Clerk
Election7:January 11, 1994
Term Length:4 years
Authority:Article III, South Carolina Constitution
Salary:$10,400/year + per diem
Members:46
Leader8 Type:Sergeant at Arms
Election8:December 6, 2016
Structure1:File:SC Senate 2023.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Structure1 Alt:Composition of the South Carolina Senate
Political Groups1:Majority

Minority

Last Election1:November 3, 2020
(46 seats)
Next Election1:November 5, 2024
(46 seats)
Redistricting:Legislative Control
Meeting Place:State Senate Chamber
South Carolina State House
Columbia, South Carolina
Website:South Carolina Senate
Rules:Rules of the Senate of South Carolina

The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the same time as United States presidential elections.

The South Carolina Constitution of 1895 provided for each county to elect one senator for a four-year term. The election of senators was staggered so that half of the state Senate was elected every two years. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1964 for the case Reynolds v. Sims, the state Senate was reapportioned in 1966 as a temporary measure into 27 districts with 50 members for two-year terms. In 1967, the state Senate was again reapportioned, this time into 20 districts with 46 members for four-year terms. The number of districts was reduced to 16 in 1972 and in 1984, they were eliminated with the creation of single member districts.

The annual session of the General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol Building in Columbia on the second Tuesday of January of each year. However, after convening, either the House or the Senate may call for itself a 30-day recess by a majority vote, or a longer recess by a two-thirds vote.[1]

Composition

AffiliationParty

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

Total
RepublicanDemocraticIndependentVacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"Start of 2023 Session30151460
nowrap style="font-size:80%"Current30151460
Latest voting share

Members of the South Carolina Senate

Except as noted, all senators were elected in November 2020 and terms began on January 12, 2021. All terms expire in January 2025.

District RepresentativePartyResidence First Elected
1 Thomas C. Alexander, president Republican 1994*
2 Republican 2016
3 Republican 2017*
4 Republican 2016*
5 Tom CorbinRepublican 2012
6 Republican2019*
7 Democratic 2012
8 Republican 2012
9 Republican 2000
10 Republican 2020
11 Republican 2020
12 Republican 2016
13 Republican 2008
14 Republican 1980
15 Republican 2016
16 Republican 2020
17 Democratic 2016
18 Republican 2003*
19 Democratic 2024*
20 Democratic 2018*
21 Democratic 1992
22 Independent[2] 2016
23 Republican 2012
24 Republican 2012
25 Republican 2007*
26 Democratic 1976
27 Republican 2020
28 Republican 2012
29 Democratic 2002*
30 Democratic 2004
31 Republican 2022*
32 Democratic 2014*
33 Republican 1992
34 Republican 2016
35 Democratic 2012
36 Democratic 2012
37 Republican 1997*
38 Republican 2012
39 Democratic 2020
40 Democratic 1996*
41 Republican 2016
42 Democratic 2023*
43 Republican 2004
44 Republican 2020
45 Democratic 2015*
46 Republican 2008

*Senator was first elected in a special election

Composition of the Senate over time

See main article: Political party strength in South Carolina.

align=center valign=bottom YearDemocratic
Party		Republican
Party		Independent
/ Other
Majority
1865003131
18686[3] 25019
1870526121
1872825017
18740267[4] 19
1876151803
1878285023
1880332031
1882332031
1884323029
1886332031
1888350035
1890323029
1892360036
18942907[5] 22
1896360036
1898–
1908		410041
1910–
1916		440044
1918–
1964		460046
1966436137
1968473044
1970442042
1972433040
1976424038
1980397032
19843610026
19883511024
19923016014
1996252104
200022[6] 2402
20042026[7] 06
2008192708
20121828010
20161828010
2020[8] 1530114

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ARTICLE 3. Legislative Department., SECTION 9. Sessions of General Assembly. . 2010 South Carolina Constitution – Unannotated . January 16, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120304204700/http://www.scstatehouse.gov/scconstitution/a03.php . March 4, 2012 .
  2. Web site: McLeod . Mia . |website=miaforsenate |access-date=10 January 2023 New Year, New Direction! .
  3. The election of a Democrat from Abbeville was declared void and the seat remained vacant.
  4. All 7 were members of the Conservative Party of South Carolina.
  5. All 7 were Independent Democrats.
  6. After the 2000 elections, the Senate was evenly split between 23 Democrats and 23 Republicans. A Democrat, J. Verne Smith of Greer, switched to the Republicans to break the tie.
  7. Republicans gained an additional seat in a 2007 special election.
  8. News: 4 November 2020. South Carolina Election Results. The New York Times. 4 November 2020.

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