Vote margin narrows to just 29 in Rock Hill-area SC Senate race — but loser concedes
Everett Stubbs will be the next South Carolina state senator for the Rock Hill area after Democratic incumbent state senator Mike Fanning conceded a narrow 29-vote loss and waived a recount, according to South Carolina elections officials.
Fanning sent an email around 5 p.m. Friday to the S.C. Election Commission stating that it did not have to hold a recount that is mandated by South Carolina law unless the loser declines it, said John Michael Catalano, spokesman for the election commission.
“Please accept this as my declining a recount in my senate re-election race. Appreciate you and all you do. Mike,” the email from Fanning’s official S.C. General Assembly account stated.
Catalano said that email is the required written recount waiver, so the race is over.
District 17 is a huge geographic area that covers much of the southern half of York County into Rock Hill, plus all of mainly rural Chester and Fairfield counties and part of Lancaster County.
Fanning conceded just minutes after election boards in York, Chester, Lancaster and Fairfield counties certified election results and counted provisional ballots. The margin narrowed from 32 to 29 but Fanning told state officials no recount was necessary.
Stubbs wins in first race
Stubbs, a lawyer in his first run for office, told The Herald in a phone interview that he is thrilled to win. He received a voicemail concession and congratulations from Fanning.
Stubbs beat Fanning by just .06% — 29 votes out of 55,931 ballots cast.
Stubbs received 27,953 votes, and Fanning got 27,926, according to election commission figures.
“I look forward to representing all the citizens of our district and promise to be a strong advocate for the district and unification,” Stubbs told The Herald.
Stubbs thanked his family and the people who voted for him. He said in a text message to The Herald: “All included. I won by 29.”
He wished Fanning and his family the best, and thanked him for his service to the public.
Stubbs spent more than six hours at the York County Courthouse on Friday as county elections officials counted provisional ballots.
The term of office is four years. South Carolina has 46 state senators. Of those, 33 are Republicans. It is unclear when Stubbs will be sworn in. The next legislative session starts in early January.
On his Facebook campaign page, Fanning posted, “We lost.”
Fanning, executive director of the nonprofit educational collaborative Olde English Consortium, won the seat in 2016 and again in 2020
He also congratulated Stubbs in the posting and wrote that “the people have spoken.”
Efforts to reach Fanning by phone and email were unsuccessful.
Close race only .06% difference
After the four county election boards counted provisional ballots Friday, the margin in the race narrowed from 32 to 29.
But it wasn’t enough for Fanning to overcome Stubbs.
Fanning gained 42 votes Friday — 27 votes in York, two in Lancaster, one in Chester, and 12 in Fairfield.
Stubbs gained 39 votes Friday — 17 in York, eight in Lancaster, two in Chester, and 12 in Fairfield.
Before Friday, Stubbs had 27,914 votes and Fanning had 27,884.
This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 6:07 PM.
