2000 South Carolina Senate election

2000 South Carolina Senate election
November 7, 2000
All 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate
24 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Glenn F. McConnell John W. Drummond
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since January 1996
Leader's seat District 41 District 10
Last election 21 25
Seats after 24[a] 22
Seat change 3 3
President pro tempore before election

John W. Drummond
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Glenn F. McConnell
Republican

The 2000 South Carolina Senate election was held on November 7, 2000, to determine which party would control the South Carolina Senate for the following four years in the 114th South Carolina General Assembly. All 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate were up for election. Prior to the election, 25 seats were held by Democrats and 21 seats were held by Republicans. The general election saw Republicans flip 2 seats, thereby leaving the Senate evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, until Democrat J. Verne Smith of District 5 switched parties, giving Republicans a majority in the State Senate for the first time since 1878.[1]

Retirements

Republicans

  1. District 12: John R. Russell retired.
  2. District 13: Charles Tyrone Courtney retired after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and making false statements in a loan application in June 2000.[2]

Democrats

  1. District 45: McKinley Washington Jr. retired.

Defeated incumbents

In general

Democrats

  1. District 9: James Edward Bryan Jr. lost re-election to Danny Verdin.

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. District 37, 2.50%
  2. District 33, 8.67%
  3. District 9, 8.99% (gain)

Results

District 1

District 1 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas C. Alexander (incumbent) 21,380 99.87%
Scattering 27 0.13%
Total votes 21,407 100.0%
Republican hold

District 2

District 2 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Larry A. Martin (incumbent) 25,493 99.50%
Scattering 128 0.50%
Total votes 25,621 100.0%
Republican hold

District 3

District 3 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert L. Waldrep Jr. (incumbent) 26,069 99.97%
Scattering 8 0.03%
Total votes 26,077 100.0%
Republican hold

District 4

District 4 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William H. O'Dell (incumbent) 14,534 58.83%
Republican E. Blair Rice Jr. 10,171 41.17%
Total votes 24,705 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 5

District 5 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Verne J. Smith[b] (incumbent) 17,081 78.21%
Republican Stacey B. Schaller 4,659 21.33%
Scattering 100 0.46%
Total votes 21,840 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 6

District 6 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Fair (incumbent) 28,048 97.63%
Scattering 680 2.37%
Total votes 28,728 100.0%
Republican hold

District 7

District 7 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ralph Anderson (incumbent) 14,417 63.99%
Republican Allen Bunk Johnson 8,083 35.88%
Scattering 30 0.13%
Total votes 22,530 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 8

District 8 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David L. Thomas (incumbent) 32,720 88.53%
Democratic Al Hafer 4,097 11.09%
Scattering 139 0.38%
Total votes 36,956 100.0%
Republican hold

District 9

District 9 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Danny Verdin 16,793 54.47%
Democratic James Edward Bryan Jr. (incumbent) 14,024 45.48%
Scattering 16 0.05%
Total votes 30,833 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 10

District 10 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John W. Drummond (incumbent) 16,021 59.33%
Republican Hunter Eddy 10,974 40.64%
Scattering 7 0.03%
Total votes 27,002 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 11

District 11 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Glenn G. Reese (incumbent) 13,120 57.84%
Republican Steve A. Parker 9,558 42.13%
Scattering 7 0.03%
Total votes 22,685 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 12

District 12 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John D. Hawkins 20,341 68.63%
Democratic Edgar M. Poole Jr. 9,243 31.23%
Scattering 11 0.04%
Total votes 29,595 100.0%
Republican hold

District 13

District 13 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican James H. Ritchie Jr. 18,708 66.41%
Democratic Brian K. Kennedy 9,455 33.56%
Scattering 9 0.03%
Total votes 28,172 100.0%
Republican hold

District 14

District 14 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Harvey S. Peeler Jr. (incumbent) 21,739 99.76%
Scattering 52 0.24%
Total votes 21,791 100.0%
Republican hold

District 15

District 15 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert W. Hayes Jr. (incumbent) 26,166 99.88%
Scattering 30 0.12%
Total votes 26,196 100.0%
Republican hold

District 16

District 16 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Gregory (incumbent) 22,488 99.21%
Scattering 180 0.79%
Total votes 22,668 100.0%
Republican hold

District 17

District 17 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Linda H. Short (incumbent) 19,585 82.99%
Republican Danny W. Parker 4,011 17.00%
Scattering 3 0.01%
Total votes 23,599 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 18

District 18 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican André Bauer (incumbent) 19,558 63.89%
Democratic Dave C. Waldrop Jr. 11,043 36.08%
Scattering 8 0.03%
Total votes 30,609 100.0%
Republican hold

District 19

District 19 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kay Patterson (incumbent) 22,391 99.04%
Scattering 218 0.96%
Total votes 22,609 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 20

District 20 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Courson (incumbent) 21,624 60.23%
Democratic Tony Mizzell 14,263 39.72%
Scattering 19 0.05%
Total votes 35,906 100.0%
Republican hold

District 21

District 21 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darrell Jackson (incumbent) 15,180 98.17%
Scattering 283 1.83%
Total votes 15,463 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 22

District 22 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Warren Giese (incumbent) 22,764 55.86%
Democratic Toby Ward 17,974 44.10%
Scattering 18 0.04%
Total votes 40,756 100.0%
Republican hold

District 23

District 23 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Wilson (incumbent) 35,241 100.0%
Total votes 35,241 100.0%
Republican hold

District 24

District 24 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican W. Greg Ryberg (incumbent) 28,548 99.55%
Scattering 128 0.45%
Total votes 28,676 100.0%
Republican hold

District 25

District 25 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tommy Moore (incumbent) 19,382 67.01%
Republican Robert G. Gossett 9,542 32.99%
Scattering 1 0.00%
Total votes 28,925 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 26

District 26 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nikki G. Setzler (incumbent) 17,571 55.74%
Republican W. Gary Prince 13,213 41.91%
Scattering 742 2.35%
Total votes 31,526 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 27

District 27 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donald Holland (incumbent) 19,844 68.09%
Republican Bart Hayward 9,272 31.81%
Scattering 30 0.10%
Total votes 29,146 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 28

District 28 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dick Elliott (incumbent) 21,923 99.68%
Scattering 70 0.32%
Total votes 21,993 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 29

District 29 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward Eli Saleeby (incumbent) 20,946 99.50%
Scattering 106 0.50%
Total votes 21,052 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 30

District 30 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Maggie Wallace Glover (incumbent) 18,145 99.32%
Scattering 124 0.68%
Total votes 18,269 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 31

District 31 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Hugh Leatherman (incumbent) 17,130 55.98%
Democratic Patsy Stone 13,467 44.01%
Scattering 4 0.01%
Total votes 30,601 100.0%
Republican hold

District 32

District 32 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Yancey McGill (incumbent) 22,372 100.0%
Total votes 22,372 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 33

District 33 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luke A. Rankin (incumbent) 17,811 54.33%
Republican Allan Clemmons 14,967 45.66%
Scattering 3 0.01%
Total votes 32,781 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 34

District 34 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur Ravenel Jr. (incumbent) 30,078 99.79%
Scattering 63 0.21%
Total votes 30,141 100.0%
Republican hold

District 35

District 35 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phil P. Leventis (incumbent) 15,102 59.84%
Republican Blane Lawson 10,133 40.16%
Total votes 25,235 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 36

District 36 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John C. Land III (incumbent) 20,818 73.81%
Republican Gary McLeod 7,383 26.18%
Scattering 2 0.01%
Total votes 28,199 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 37

District 37 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Larry Grooms (incumbent) 15,970 51.21%
Democratic George Bailey 15,188 48.71%
Scattering 25 0.08%
Total votes 31,183 100.0%
Republican hold

District 38

District 38 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William S. Branton (incumbent) 20,786 99.64%
Scattering 75 0.36%
Total votes 20,861 100.0%
Republican hold

District 39

District 39 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John W. Matthews Jr. (incumbent) 23,125 99.21%
Scattering 185 0.79%
Total votes 23,310 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 40

District 40 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brad Hutto (incumbent) 24,602 90.78%
Libertarian Jonathan M. Hare 2,456 9.06%
Scattering 43 0.16%
Total votes 27,101 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 41

District 41 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Glenn F. McConnell (incumbent) 27,739 99.82%
Scattering 51 0.18%
Total votes 27,790 100.0%
Republican hold

District 42

District 42 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Ford (incumbent) 14,263 99.36%
Scattering 92 0.64%
Total votes 14,355 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 43

District 43 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ernie Passailaigue (incumbent) 8,330 61.60%
Republican Lanneau Siegling 5,166 38.21%
Scattering 25 0.19%
Total votes 13,521 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 44

District 44 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Mescher (incumbent) 23,889 99.90%
Scattering 23 0.10%
Total votes 23,912 100.0%
Republican hold

District 45

District 45 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Clementa C. Pinckney 20,088 62.95%
Republican Curtis Brantley 11,803 36.99%
Scattering 20 0.06%
Total votes 31,911 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 46

District 46 election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott Richardson (incumbent) 28,677 98.79%
Scattering 351 1.21%
Total votes 29,028 100.0%
Republican hold

Notes

  1. ^ Initially the Senate was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans until Democrat J. Verne Smith of District 5 switched parties, giving Republicans a majority.
  2. ^ Switched parties to the Republicans following the election in order to break a tie between Democratic and Republican control of the chamber.

References

  1. ^ "NOVEMBER 7,2000 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE WIDE GENERAL ELECTION - OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). scvotes.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  2. ^ "Ex-senator gets 30 days And 10 months home detention Courtney Sentenced". goupstate.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
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