Voters in northern York County gave Ralph Norman a political comeback on Tuesday, choosing the Republican real estate developer over Democrat Kathy Cantrell in a state House special election.
According to unofficial results, Norman earned 72 percent of the vote to recapture the District 48 seat he held for a term before an unsuccessful 2006 run against U.S. Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C. He defeated Cantrell in all 28 precincts, including absentee.
Tuesday's victory came as little surprise in a reliably conservative district that has sent Republicans to Columbia for 20 years. Becky Meacham-Richardson and Carl Gullick preceded Norman.
Gullick resigned over the summer and moved to Kentucky, where his wife took a new job.
“You don't expect this kind of margin, but I'm grateful for it,” Norman said from a party at the Magnolia Room at Laurel Creek. “This is a microcosm of what's happening all over the country. It's a conservative movement that's only going to build.”
For Cantrell and her supporters, an election night gathering at McHale's Irish pub in Rock Hill ended in disappointment.
The group raised glasses of champagne to toast the contest.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” said Cantrell, a member of the Clover school board. “We did everything we knew how to do. If we had more time, I think we could've done this.”
A telling gulf emerged at Cantrell's home precinct, the gated River Hills community on Lake Wylie. Norman earned 454 votes compared to 185 for Cantrell.
Norman's message of low taxes and limited government played well with older voters like Carol Swartz. The Fort Mill retiree got an automated phone call from U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., encouraging her to vote for Norman.
“I didn't listen to it closely because I already knew what I was going to do,” said Swartz, 73. “He had a nice little spiel.”
Swartz said she normally votes Republican but feels even more strongly now as national Democrats push for health care reform, which she calls a government takeover.
“That health care bill scares me to death,” she said.
A phone call from the Cantrell campaign achieved its purpose with Senica Gilmore of Fort Mill. Gilmore, 33, watches TV on a satellite dish that doesn't get local TV stations. She also doesn't take the newspaper.
Hence, the mother of two didn't realize an election was near.
“They said, ‘Are you going to vote?' I said, ‘Vote for what?'” Gilmore recalled. “I wouldn't have come out if I didn't get that call.”
Turnout was light at all Fort Mill area precincts, despite the school board race also on the ballot.
Unofficial results
Ralph Norman: 4,608 votes, 72 percent
Kathy Cantrell: 1,791 votes, 28 percent
Matt Garfield — 803-329-4063
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