Chester, Rock Hill Senate seat, other legislative runoffs set for Tuesday
A handful of nominees for seats in the South Carolina General Assembly will be selected Tuesday as voters go to the polls to settle party runoffs.
There are runoffs in six state Senate and seven House primaries. There are no statewide races to be decided in Tuesday’s voting.
Locally, only voters in state Senate District 17 – which includes all of Chester County and parts of southern and western York County – are voting in a runoff election to determine the Democratic nominee.
Incumbent Creighton Coleman of Winnsboro is being challenged by Mike Fanning of Great Falls.
Candidates needed 50 percent plus one vote during the June 14 primary to avoid a runoff.
A look at some of the other races to be decided Tuesday:
SENATE INCUMBENTS
Three incumbent senators are in runoffs.
Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin of Pickens faces former state Rep. Rex Rice.
Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Lee Bright of Roebuck meets former state Rep. Scott Talley in Tuesday’s runoff. They were the top two vote-getters in a four-way primary two weeks ago.
Republican Mike Fair of Greenville also finds himself in a runoff against challenger William Timmons. Timmons got just under 50 percent of the vote in the primary.
BACKED BY THE GOVERNOR
Gov. Nikki Haley supported five candidates in challenges of incumbent lawmakers before the June 14th primary.
Three of those she supported lost while in a fourth race, incumbent state Sen. Wes Hayes lost his re-election bid to Haley-backed York County GOP Chairman Wes Climer.
The fifth race is among those being decided in Tuesday’s runoffs. State Rep. Stephen Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet got 44 percent of the vote two weeks ago against attorney Reese Boyd, who was endorsed by Haley. That winner will be the Republican nominee to replace retiring state Sen. Ray Cleary in a Senate district along the coast.
HOUSE RACES
Among the notable House races, Democratic state Rep. Bill Bowers of Hampton faces former state Rep. Curtis Brantley in a runoff. Bowers defeated Brantley to win the seat four years ago.
There is also a Republican runoff to decide the party nominee to replace longtime state Rep. Chip Limehouse who is retiring after serving his downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant district for more than two decades. Businessmen William Cogswell Jr. and Russell Guerard were the top vote-getters in the five-way primary.
TURNOUT SHOULD BE LIGHT
Voters should not have to wait long, if at all, to cast their ballots. Only about 14 percent of the state’s 3 million voters voted two weeks ago, and runoffs generally see fewer voters at the polls.
The turnout was only about 6 percent in 2014 during runoffs that featured statewide races for lieutenant governor and superintendent of education. Figures from the South Carolina Election Commission show about 600,000 registered voters in the districts where runoffs are being held Tuesday.
Want to vote?
Who: Registered voters in state Senate District 17 who either voted in the Democratic primary on June 14, or did not vote at all on June 14. Those who cast ballots in the June 14 Republican primary cannot vote Tuesday.
What: Bring a photo ID (S.C. driver's license, S.C. DMV ID card, S.C. voter registration card (w/photo), federal military ID, U.S. passport).
When: Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: The following precincts are open Tuesday:
York County
Bullocks Creek – Bullocks Creek Fire Department, 2250 S.C. 97, Sharon
Cannon Mill – Central Baptist Church, 110 Ross Cannon St., York
Catawba – Catawba Chapel AME Zion Church, 340 Hall Spencer Road, Catawba
Delphia – Philadelphia United Methodist Church, 2260 Chester Highway, York.
Filbert – St. James United Methodist Church, 1930 Quarry Road, York.
McConnells – Olivet Presbyterian Church, 159 Church St., McConnells
Mt. Holly – Oakdale Elementary School, 1129 Oakdale Road, Rock Hill
Ogden – Antioch United Methodist Church, 930 W Rambo Road, Rock Hill
Rock Hill No. 2 – Rock Hill City Hall, 155 Johnston St., Rock Hill
Rock Hill No. 3 – Sunset Park Elementary School, 1036 Ogden Road, Rock Hill
Rock Hill No. 6 – Parentsmart, 410 E Black St., Rock Hill
Rock Hill No. 8 – The Children’s School at Sylvia Circle, 929 Sylvia Circle, Rock Hill
York No. 1 – Cotton Belt Elementary School, 1176 Black Highway, York
York No. 2 – Harold C. Johnson Elementary School, 400 E Jefferson St., York
Edgewood – Hermon Presbyterian Church, 107 Heckle Blvd., Rock Hill
Lesslie – Lesslie Elementary School, 250 Neely Store Road, Rock Hill
Ferry Branch – Providence Baptist Church, 1947 Old Friendship Road, Rock Hill
Six Mile – Providence Baptist Church, 1947 Old Friendship Road, Rock Hill
Chester County
Baldwin – Old Bowling Alley, 604 Brice St., Chester
Baton Rouge – West Chester Fire Deptartment, 1690 Pinckney St., Chester
Beckhamville – Trinity Baptist Church, 112 Chester Ave., Great Falls
Blackstock – Blackstock First Baptist, 907 Durham Road, Blackstock
Edgemoor – Lando Fire Depart/Edgemoor Station, 4487 Edgeland Road, Edgemoor
Eureka – The Holy Place, 619 Saluda Road, Chester
Fort Lawn – Fort Lawn Community Center, 554 Main St., Fort Lawn
Halsellville – St. Paul Baptist Church, 2344 West End Road, Chester
Hazelwood – Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, 1660 Pleasant Grove Road, Chester
Lowrys – Lowry’s Community Center, 2266 Old York Road, Lowrys
Richburg – Richburg Town Hall, 201 N. Main St., Richburg
Rodman – Rodman Community Center, 2489 Rodman Road, Chester
Rossville – Rossville Community Center, 4361 Great Falls Highway, Great Falls
Wilksburg – Wilksburg Baptist Church, 3137 Pinckney Road, Chester
Chester Ward 1 – Memorial Building, 154 Main St., Chester
Chester Ward 2 – Chester County Library, 100 Center St., Chester
Chester Ward 3 – Old Armory, 109 Ella St., Chester
Chester Ward 4 – Calvary Baptist Church, 130 Walnut St., Chester
Chester Ward 5 – R. Carlisle Roddey Building, 1476 JA Cochran Bypass, Chester
Lando/Landsford – 1966 Westbrook Road, Edgemoor
Great Falls – Memorial Building, 401 Dearborn St., Great Falls
This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Chester, Rock Hill Senate seat, other legislative runoffs set for Tuesday."