2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina explained

Election Name:2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina
Country:South Carolina
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Previous Year:2010
Next Election:2016 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Next Year:2016
Election Date:November 4, 2014
Image1:File:Tim Scott (politician) (cropped).jpeg
Nominee1:Tim Scott
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:757,215
Percentage1:61.12%
Nominee2:Joyce Dickerson
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:459,583
Percentage2:37.09%
Map Size:230px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Tim Scott
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Tim Scott
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina took place on November 4, 2014, concurrently with the regular election for the other South Carolina Senate seat. The special-election Senate seat was formerly held by Republican Jim DeMint, who resigned on January 2, 2013, to become president of The Heritage Foundation.

Nikki Haley, the Republican Governor of South Carolina, announced the appointment of U.S. Representative Tim Scott to fill the seat. Scott ran in the special election and won by beating Democratic candidate and Richland County councilwoman Joyce Dickerson in the November election. Scott became the first black Senator in the state's history and the first in a former Confederate state since 1881.

The election was noted for being the second U.S. Senate election since the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment and the first in a former Confederate state where both major party nominees were black. This was also the first of three consecutive elections to this seat where both major party nominees were black.

Background

On December 6, 2012, Senator Jim DeMint announced his intention to resign effective January 1, 2013, to become the president of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.[1]

Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, appointed a replacement to fill the seat until the special election.[2] Haley indicated that she would not appoint a "placeholder" to the seat, but would appoint someone who would stand in a 2014 special election to serve the remaining two years of DeMint's term.[3] On December 17, 2012, Haley announced that she would appoint Scott to DeMint's seat following his resignation.[4]

Senate replacement process

According to sources close to Governor Haley, as of December 11, 2012, she had narrowed the list of potential appointees down to five:

Other politicians mentioned as possible replacements for DeMint included U.S. Representatives Mick Mulvaney[6] and Joe Wilson, former U.S. Representative Gresham Barrett, state representative Nathan Ballentine, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, former Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, former South Carolina Republican Party chair Katon Dawson, and Haley's deputy chief of staff Tedd Pitts.[7]

Liberal comedian Stephen Colbert, a South Carolina native, expressed interest in being appointed the seat, asking his fans to tweet Haley that she should appoint him.[8] Chad Walldorf, the owner of the Sticky Fingers restaurant chain, had also been mentioned as a potential placeholder.[9]

Polling on DeMint's replacement

A Public Policy Polling poll released on December 10, 2012, which asked respondents who they wanted to replace DeMint, showed Colbert with the highest total. Colbert had support at 20 percent, followed by Scott at 15 percent, Gowdy at 14 percent, and Sanford at 11 percent.[10] Haley said that she would not appoint Colbert to the seat.[11]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

Results

Independent and third parties

Declared

Removed from ballot

General election

Debates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
align=left The Cook Political Report[26] November 3, 2014
align=left Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] November 3, 2014
align=left Rothenberg Political Report[28] November 3, 2014
align=left Real Clear Politics[29] November 3, 2014

Polling

Poll sourceTim
Scott (R)		Joyce
Dickerson (D)		OtherUndecided
align=left Rasmussen Reports[30] July 9–10, 2014750± 4%53%31%6%11%
align=left CBS News/NYT/YouGov[31] July 5–24, 20141,180± 5.4%52%40%2%9%
align=left CBS News/NYT/YouGov[32] August 18 – September 2, 2014833± 5%54%33%0%13%
align=left Winthrop University[33] September 21–28, 20141,082± 3%52.4%31.8%1.9%[34] 13.8%
align=left CBS News/NYT/YouGov[35] September 20 – October 1, 20142,663± 2%54%31%0%14%
align=left CBS News/NYT/YouGovOctober 16–23, 20141,566± 4%57%28%0%15%

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

External links

Official campaign websites (Archived)

Notes and References

  1. News: South Carolina Republican US Sen. Jim DeMint resigning to take over at Heritage Foundation . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220235947/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/south-carolina-republican-us-sen-jim-demint-resigning-to-take-over-at-heritage-foundation/2012/12/06/7a8433de-3fbc-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story.html . dead . February 20, 2019 . . December 6, 2012 . December 6, 2012.
  2. News: All eyes on Nikki Haley to pick Jim DeMint successor . . December 6, 2012 . December 6, 2012.
  3. News: Buzz builds around Jim DeMint successor . . December 10, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  4. News: December 17, 2012. Tim Scott to succeed Jim DeMint in Senate. Politico. December 17, 2012.
  5. News: First on CNN: Haley finalizes short list for DeMint seat . December 11, 2012 . December 11, 2012.
  6. News: Mulvaney in touch with Haley about Senate seat . . December 10, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  7. Web site: Who Will Replace Jim DeMint? . National Journal . Reid . Wilson . December 6, 2012 . December 10, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121209004754/http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2012/12/who-will-replace-jim-demint-06 . December 9, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  8. News: Stephen Colbert to Nikki Haley: Pick Me . December 7, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  9. News: Business Briefs: Walldorf eyed as DeMint successor . Associated Press . Chattanooga Times Free Press . December 8, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  10. News: PP: South Carolina voters want Stephen Colbert . Robillard . Kevin . December 10, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  11. News: Nikki Haley: I won't appoint Stephen Colbert to Senate . Associated Press . December 8, 2012 . December 10, 2012.
  12. Web site: Tim Scott quiet on Mark Sanford congressional run . Politico.Com . December 24, 2012.
  13. News: ELECTION 2014 (updated): Who's filed for statewide, State House, Congressional offices . . Shain . Andrew . March 27, 2014 . March 27, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328073101/http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/27/3331775/election-2014-whos-filed-for-the.html . March 28, 2014 . dead . mdy-all .
  14. Web site: County council member to run for U.S. Senate seat . October 3, 2013 . October 30, 2013 . wistv . Renee Standera . https://web.archive.org/web/20131102025523/http://northeastcolumbia.wistv.com/news/politics/76633-county-council-member-run-us-senate-seat . November 2, 2013 . dead . mdy-all .
  15. Web site: Senator Allen Installed as Chair of National Foundation for Women Legislators . March 17, 2014 . May 21, 2014 . senatenj.com . George Mast . May 21, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140521131706/http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/allen/senator-allen-installed-as-chair-of-national-foundation-for-women-legislators/16742 . dead .
  16. News: Former York County Council member to run for Scott's U.S. Senate seat . . Zou . Jie Jenny . March 27, 2014 . March 27, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328061555/http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/03/27/5813780/former-york-county-council-member.html . March 28, 2014 . dead .
  17. News: Exclusive: Another unknown Democrat seeks US Senate seat in SC . Jamie Self . September 14, 2013 . The State . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101074218/http://www.thestate.com/2013/09/14/2980396/exclusive-another-unknown-democrat.html . November 1, 2013 .
  18. Web site: Former Obama aide sets sights on Scott's US Senate seat . December 13, 2013 . December 14, 2013 . . Andrew . Shain . https://web.archive.org/web/20131215060115/http://www.thestate.com/2013/12/13/3158078/former-obama-aide-sets-sights.html . December 15, 2013 . dead . mdy-all .
  19. Web site: Democrat Wade exits US Senate race citing fundraising woes . March 6, 2014 . March 7, 2014 . . Jamie . Self . https://web.archive.org/web/20140306201035/http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/06/3308832/democrat-wade-drops-out-of-us.html . March 6, 2014 . dead .
  20. Web site: THE BUZZ: A reunion, of sorts, for the Sanfords? . December 9, 2012 . August 21, 2013 . . Andrew . Shain . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101074457/http://www.thestate.com/2012/12/09/2549616/the-buzz-a-reunion-of-sorts-for.html . November 1, 2013 . dead . mdy-all .
  21. Web site: The Buzz: Rand Paul on Lindsey Graham, second Democrat may challenge Tim Scott . August 25, 2013 . August 26, 2013 . . Adam . Beam . https://web.archive.org/web/20130825192127/http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/25/2939452/the-buzz-rand-paul-on-lindsey.html . August 25, 2013 . dead . mdy-all .
  22. http://media.clemson.edu/newsroom/Palmetto-Poll-June-2014.pdf Clemson University
  23. Web site: Tega Cay exec running for U.S. Senate . March 24, 2014 . March 26, 2014 . Fort Mill Times.
  24. Web site: ELECTION 2014: Independent collecting signatures to run against Tim Scott . November 27, 2013 . February 5, 2014 . . Jamie . Self . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221114045/http://www.thestate.com/2013/11/27/3126271/election-2014-independent-collecting.html . February 21, 2014 . dead .
  25. Web site: Independent challenger to Tim Scott fails to get on the ballot . August 12, 2014 . August 19, 2014 . . Schuyler . Kopf.
  26. Web site: 2014 Senate Race Ratings for November 3, 2014 . The Cook Political Report . September 20, 2018.
  27. Web site: The Crystal Ball's Final 2014 Picks . Sabato's Crystal Ball . September 20, 2018.
  28. Web site: 2014 Senate Ratings . Senate Ratings . The Rothenberg Political Report . September 20, 2018.
  29. Web site: 2014 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2014 . Real Clear Politics . September 20, 2018.
  30. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2014/south_carolina/election_2014_south_carolina_special_senate Rasmussen Reports
  31. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2014-midterms-republicans-narrowly-favored-to-capture-senate-in-november/ CBS News/NYT/YouGov
  32. https://today.yougov.com/news/2014/09/07/battleground-tracker-2014-south-carolina/ CBS News/NYT/YouGov
  33. https://web.archive.org/web/20141001212629/http://www.winthrop.edu/winthroppoll/default.aspx?id=9804&ekmensel=fee512e3_566_0_9804_3 Winthrop University
  34. Jill Bossi (AP) 1.8%, Other 0.1%
  35. http://today.yougov.com/news/2014/09/07/senate-races-battleground-tracker/ CBS News/NYT/YouGov

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