South Carolina's 2nd congressional district explained

State:South Carolina
District Number:2
Image Caption:Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative:Joe Wilson
Party:Republican
Residence:Springdale
Disamb:Lexington County
Population:750,640
Population Year:2022
Median Income:$71,562[1]
Percent White:61.1
Percent Hispanic:7.0
Percent Black:24.9
Percent Asian:2.2
Percent More Than One Race:4.0
Percent Other Race:0.8
Cpvi:R+8[2]

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district is in central and southwestern South Carolina. The district spans from Columbia to the South Carolina side of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.

From 1993 through 2012, it included all of Lexington, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Barnwell counties; most of Richland and Beaufort counties and parts of Aiken, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

It was made more compact in the 2010 round of redistricting, and now comprises all of Lexington, Aiken and Barnwell counties, most of Richland County, and part of Orangeburg County. Besides Columbia (60 percent of which is in the district), other major cities in the district include Aiken and North Augusta.

The district's current configuration dates from 1933, following South Carolina losing a seat in apportionment as a result of the 1930 Census showing that the state's population had declined. Before that time, much of its territory had been within the 6th district.

As a Columbia-based district from 1933 to the early 1990s, it was a fairly compact district in the central part of the state, which was largely coextensive with the Columbia metropolitan area. As a result of the 1990 census, the state legislature was required to draw a black-majority district. In a deal between Republicans and Democrats, the 6th district, previously located in the northeastern portion of the state, was reconfigured to incorporate most of the old 2nd's black residents. To make up for the loss in population, the 2nd was pushed as far west as the fringes of the Augusta suburbs and as far south as Beaufort/Hilton Head. As of 2019, the district was more than 69% white.[3]

Since 1965 the 2nd district has been held by the Republican Party, coinciding with the late 20th-century realignment of political parties in the South. In the decades after the Civil War and before disenfranchisement in 1895 under the new state constitution, members of the Republican Party in South Carolina and the South were mostly African Americans, including many freedmen enfranchised due to Republican support for amendments for emancipation, citizenship and the franchise. After white Democrats regained control of state governments across the South, in the late 19th century, they passed new constitutions from 1890 to 1908 to disenfranchise blacks, excluding them totally from the political process. The Republican Party was crippled in the region and nearly comatose.

As a result of the Civil Rights Movement, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provided for federal enforcement of blacks' constitutional rights. That year, the 2nd district's second-term Democratic congressman, Albert Watson, resigned, then ran as a Republican in the ensuing special election and won, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina in the House since Reconstruction.

However, the district had begun shedding its Yellow Dog Democrat roots before then. Some of the old-line Democrats began splitting their tickets as early as the 1940s, and some counties in the district haven't supported the official Democratic candidate for president since the 1950s. The district swung hard to Strom Thurmond during his third-party bid for president in 1948, and gave an equally massive margin to Barry Goldwater in 1964. Since 1964, Jimmy Carter has been the only Democrat to come close to carrying it. However, conservative Democrats held most local offices well into the 1980s.

Watson gave up the seat to run for governor in 1970. His successor, state senator Floyd Spence, held the seat for more than 30 years. He was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 1995 to 2001, and died a few months after being elected to a 16th term. He was succeeded in a special election by one of his former aides, state senator Joe Wilson.

Wilson has since been reelected eleven times. In the most recent election, held on November 11, 2022, Wilson earned 60% of the vote against Democrat Judd Larkins.

Counties

Counties in the 2023–2033 district map:

Election results from presidential races

YearOfficeResult
2000PresidentBush 58–39%
2004PresidentBush 60–39%
2008PresidentMcCain 60–39%
2012PresidentRomney 59–39%
2016PresidentTrump 56–39%
2020PresidentTrump 56–44%

List of members representing the district

Member
PartyYearsCong
ress
Electoral historyDistrict location
District established March 4, 1789
align=left
Aedanus Burke
Anti-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1789 –
March 3, 1791
Elected in 1788.
Retired.
1789–1793
"Beaufort-Orangeburg district"
align=left Robert Barnwell
Pro-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793
Elected in 1790.
Retired.
align=left John Hunter
Anti-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1793 –
March 3, 1795
Elected in 1793.
Redistricted to the and lost re-election.
1793–1797
"Beaufort-Orangeburg district"
align=left
Wade Hampton
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1797
Elected January 19–20, 1795 to finish the term of member-elect Robert Barnwell, who had declined to serve.
Retired.
align=left
John Rutledge Jr.
Federalistnowrap March 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1803
Elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Re-elected in 1800.
Lost re-election.
1797–1803
"Beaufort district"
align=left William Butler
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1813
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1803.
Re-elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Re-elected in 1810.
Retired.
1803–1813
"Beaufort and Edgefield district"
align=left
William Lowndes
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1813 –
May 8, 1822
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1812.
Re-elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Re-elected in 1818.
Re-elected in 1820.
Resigned.
1813–1833
"Beaufort district"
Vacantnowrap May 8, 1822 –
December 13, 1822
align=left rowspan=2
James Hamilton Jr.
Democratic-Republicannowrap December 13, 1822 –
March 3, 1825
Elected to finish Lowndes's term.
Re-elected in 1823.
Re-elected in 1824.
Re-elected in 1826.
Retired.
Jacksonnowrap March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1829
align=left rowspan=2
Robert W. Barnwell
Jacksonnowrap March 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1831
Elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
Retired.
Nullifiernowrap March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833
align=left
William J. Grayson
Nullifiernowrap March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
Elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1834.
Lost re-election.
1833–1843
align=left
Robert Rhett
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1843
Elected in 1836.
Re-elected in 1838.
Re-elected in 1840.
Redistricted to the .
align=left Richard F. Simpson
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1849
Elected in 1843.
Re-elected in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Retired.
1843–1853
align=left
James L. Orr
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853
Elected in 1848.
Re-elected in 1850.
Redistricted to the .
align=left
William Aiken Jr.
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1857
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1853.
Re-elected in 1854.
Retired.
1853–1860
align=left
William P. Miles
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1857 –
December 24, 1860
Re-elected in 1856.
Re-elected in 1858.
Re-elected in 1860 but retired due to Civil War.
District inactivenowrap December 24, 1860 –
July 20, 1868
Civil War and Reconstruction
align=left
Christopher C. Bowen
Republicannowrap July 20, 1868 –
March 3, 1871
Elected to finish the short term.
Also elected to the next term.
Lost re-election.
1868–1873
align=left
Robert C. De Large
Republicannowrap March 4, 1871 –
January 24, 1873
Elected in 1870.
Seat declared vacant.
Vacantnowrap January 24, 1873 –
March 3, 1873
align=left
Alonzo J. Ransier
Republicannowrap March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
Elected in 1872.
Retired.
1873–1883
align=left
Edmund W.M. Mackey
Independent Republicannowrap March 4, 1875 –
July 19, 1876
Elected in 1874.
Seat declared vacant.
Vacantnowrap July 19, 1876 –
November 7, 1876
align=left
Charles W. Buttz
Republicannowrap November 7, 1876 –
March 3, 1877
Elected to finish Mackey's term.
Retired.
align=left
Richard H. Cain
Republicannowrap March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
Elected in 1876.
Retired.
align=left
Michael P. O'Connor
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1879 –
April 26, 1881
Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Died pending an election contest.
Vacantnowrap April 26, 1881 –
June 9, 1881
align=left
Samuel Dibble
Democraticnowrap June 9, 1881 –
May 31, 1882
Elected to finish O'Connor's term.
Lost the election contest.
align=left
Edmund W.M. Mackey
Republicannowrap May 31, 1882 –
March 3, 1883
Won election contest.
Redistricted to the .
align=left
George D. Tillman
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1893
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Lost renomination.
1883–1893
align=left
W. Jasper Talbert
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1903
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Retired to run for governor of South Carolina.
1893–1903
align=left
George W. Croft
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1903 –
March 10, 1904
Elected in 1902.
Died.
1903–1913
Vacantnowrap March 10, 1904 –
May 17, 1904
align=left
Theodore G. Croft
Democraticnowrap May 17, 1904 –
March 3, 1905
Elected to finish his father's term.
Retired.
align=left
James O'H. Patterson
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1905 –
March 3, 1911
Elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Retired.

James F. Byrnes
DemocraticMarch 4, 1911 –
March 3, 1925
Elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
1913–1933
Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Edgefield, Hampton, Jasper, and Saluda counties[4]
align=left
Butler B. Hare
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1925 –
March 3, 1933
Elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Retired.

Hampton Fulmer
DemocraticMarch 4, 1933 –
October 19, 1944
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Died.
1933–1943
1943–1953
Vacantnowrap October 19, 1944 –
November 7, 1944
align=left
Willa L. Fulmer
Democraticnowrap November 7, 1944 –
January 3, 1945
Elected to finish her husband's term.
Retired.
align=left
John J. Riley
Democraticnowrap January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1949
Elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Lost renomination.
align=left
Hugo S. Sims Jr.
Democraticnowrap January 3, 1949 –
January 3, 1951
Elected in 1948.
Lost renomination.

John J. Riley
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1951 –
January 1, 1962
Elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Died.
1953–1963
Vacantnowrap January 1, 1962 –
April 10, 1962
align=left
Corinne Boyd Riley
Democraticnowrap April 10, 1962 –
January 3, 1963
Elected to finish her husband's term.
Retired.
align=left
Albert Watson
Democraticnowrap January 3, 1963 –
February 1, 1965
Elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Resigned to contest special election as a Republican.
1963–1973
Vacantnowrap February 1, 1965 –
June 15, 1965
align=left
Albert Watson
Republicannowrap June 15, 1965 –
January 3, 1971
Re-elected to finish his term as a Republican.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Retired to run for governor.

Floyd Spence
RepublicanJanuary 3, 1971 –
August 16, 2001
Elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Died.
1973–1983:
1983–1993:
1993–2003
Vacantnowrap August 16, 2001 –
December 18, 2001

Joe Wilson
RepublicanDecember 18, 2001 –
present
Elected to finish Spence's term.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
2003–2013[5]
2013–2023
2023–2033

Past election results

2022

See also

References

33.63°N -81.35°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: My Congressional District. U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP). census.gov.
  2. Web site: 2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List. 2023-01-10. Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022 . en.
  3. Web site: My Congressional District.
  4. Web site: South Carolina. . Official congressional directory . 104. 2027/uc1.l0075858456?urlappend=%3Bseq=122 .
  5. Web site: The national atlas. nationalatlas.gov. February 22, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222045635/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/congress.html. February 22, 2014.