| State: | South Carolina |
| District Number: | 3 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Jeff Duncan |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Laurens |
| Population: | 752,641 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $56,693[1] |
| Percent White: | 71.7 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 5.8 |
| Percent Black: | 17.0 |
| Percent Asian: | 1.1 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 3.8 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.6 |
| Cpvi: | R+21[2] |
South Carolina's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in western South Carolina bordering both Georgia and North Carolina. It includes all of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens, and Saluda counties and portions of Greenville and Newberry counties. The district is mostly rural, but much of the economy revolves around the manufacturing centers of Anderson and Greenwood. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+21, it is the most Republican district in South Carolina.[2]
Historically, the district was a Democratic stronghold, and Democrats continued to hold most local offices well into the 1990s. However, most residents share the socially conservative views of their counterparts in the 4th district and the district has elected Republicans since 1994. Republicans now dominate the district's politics at all levels, usually scoring margins rivaling those in the 4th. Indeed, no Democrat has cleared the 40 percent mark in the district in almost a quarter-century.
South Carolina's senior Senator, Lindsey Graham, held this seat from 1995 to 2003. He was succeeded by J. Gresham Barrett, who gave up the seat in order to run for governor.[3] State Rep. Jeff Duncan won the seat in 2010.
From 2003 to 2013, the district included all of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda counties and most of Aiken and Laurens counties.
Counties in the 2023–2033 district map:
| Year | Office | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Bush 63–35% | |
| 2004 | President | Bush 66–34% | |
| 2008 | President | McCain 63.5–35.1% | |
| 2012 | President | Romney 64.5–33.9% | |
| 2016 | President | Trump 67–29% | |
| 2020 | President | Trump 69–30% |
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1789 | ||||||||
| align=left | Daniel Huger | Pro-Administration | nowrap | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793 | Elected in 1788. Re-elected in 1790. Retired. | 1789–1793 "Georgetown-Cheraw district" | ||
| align=left rowspan=3 | Lemuel Benton | Anti-Administration | nowrap | March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795 | Elected in 1793. Re-elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Lost re-election. | 1793–1795 "Georgetown-Cheraw district" | ||
| Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799 | |||||||
| 1795–1799 "Georgetown district" | ||||||||
| align=left | Benjamin Huger | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1805 | Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Re-elected in 1803. Retired. | 1799–1833 "Georgetown district" | ||
| align=left | David R. Williams | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1809 | Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Robert Witherspoon | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811 | Elected in 1808. Retired. | |||
| align=left | David R. Williams | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813 | Elected in 1810. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Theodore Gourdin | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815 | Elected in 1812. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Benjamin Huger | Federalist | nowrap | March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817 | Elected in 1814. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James Ervin | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 | Elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Thomas R. Mitchell | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823 | Elected in 1820. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Robert B. Campbell | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | Elected in 1823. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Thomas R. Mitchell | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 | Elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | John Campbell | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831 | Elected in 1828. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Thomas R. Mitchell | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1830. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Thomas Singleton | Nullifier | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – November 25, 1833 | Elected in 1833. Died. | 1833–1843 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 25, 1833 – February 27, 1834 | ||||||
| align=left | Robert B. Campbell | Nullifier | nowrap | February 27, 1834 – March 3, 1837 | Elected to finish Singleton's term. Re-elected in 1834. Retired. | |||
| align=left rowspan=2 | John Campbell | Nullifier | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | Elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Redistricted to the . | |||
| Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 | ||||||
| align=left | Joseph A. Woodward | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1843. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. Re-elected in 1850. Retired. | 1843–1853 | ||
| align=left | Laurence M. Keitt | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – July 15, 1856 | Elected in 1853. Re-elected in 1854. Resigned to gain constituents' support following the caning of Charles Sumner. | 1853–1860 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 15, 1856 – August 6, 1856 | ||||||
| align=left | Laurence M. Keitt | Democratic | nowrap | August 6, 1856 – December 1860 | Re-elected to finish his own term. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Retired early due to Civil War. | |||
| District inactive | nowrap | December 1860 – July 25, 1868 | Civil War and Reconstruction | |||||
| align=left | Manuel S. Corley | Republican | nowrap | July 25, 1868 – March 3, 1869 | Elected to finish the short term. Retired. | 1868–1873 | ||
| align=left | Solomon L. Hoge | Republican | nowrap | April 8, 1869 – March 3, 1871 | Elected in 1868 (Successfully contested election of J.P. Reed). Retired. | |||
Robert B. Elliott | Republican | March 4, 1871 – November 1, 1874 | Elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Resigned to become sheriff. | |||||
| 1873–1883 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 1, 1874 – November 3, 1874 | ||||||
| align=left | Lewis C. Carpenter | Republican | nowrap | November 3, 1874 – March 3, 1875 | Elected to finish Elliott's term. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Solomon L. Hoge | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | Elected in 1874. Retired. | |||
D. Wyatt Aiken | Democratic | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1887 | Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Retired. | |||||
| 1883–1893 | ||||||||
| align=left | James S. Cothran | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891 | Elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Retired. | |||
| align=left | George Johnstone | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1890. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | Asbury C. Latimer | Democratic | nowrap | 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. | 1893–1903 | ||
| Wyatt Aiken | Democratic | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1917 | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Lost renomination. | 1903–1913 | ||||
| 1913–1933 Abbeville, Anderson, Greenwood, Newberry, Oconee, and Pickens counties.[4] | ||||||||
| align=left | Frederick H. Dominick | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1933 | Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost renomination. | |||
| align=left | John C. Taylor | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939 | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost renomination. | 1933–1943 | ||
Butler B. Hare | Democratic | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1947 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Retired. | |||||
| 1943–1953 | ||||||||
| align=left | W.J. Bryan Dorn | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | Elected in 1946. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||
| align=left | James Butler Hare | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | Elected in 1948. Lost renomination. | |||
W.J. Bryan Dorn | Democratic | January 3, 1951 – December 31, 1974 | Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Retired to run for governor and resigned following defeat. | |||||
| 1953–1963 | ||||||||
| 1963–1973 | ||||||||
| 1973–1983 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 31, 1974 – January 3, 1975 | ||||||
Butler Derrick | Democratic | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1995 | 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. Retired. | |||||
| 1983–1993 | ||||||||
| 1993–2003 | ||||||||
| align=left | Lindsey Graham | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003 | Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |||
| align=left | Gresham Barrett | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2011 | Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired to run for governor. | 2003–2013 All of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda counties and most of Aiken and Laurens counties. | ||
Jeff Duncan | Republican | January 3, 2011 – present | 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. Retiring at end of term. | |||||
| 2013–2023 | ||||||||
| 2023–2033 | ||||||||