South Carolina Republicans won all three special elections in the state’s legislature on Tuesday, with the party saying the results “send a clear message.”
Reps. John Lastinger, Dianne Mitchell, and Sen. Lee Bright all handily won their races, with 8,729 ballots cast.
Mitchell and Bright garnered over 70 and 67 percent respectively, with no one else on either ballot. The remainder of the votes went to various write-in candidates.
Lastinger, a pastor, beat Democrat retired Army Col. Joseph “Chuck” Hightower 62-37, with less than one percent going to write-in candidates.
Voter turnout was low, with just about seven percent of registered voters in State House Districts 21 and 88 and State Senate District 12 casting a ballot.
“Republicans won all three special elections and that success belongs to the voters who showed up,” the South Carolina Republican Party wrote on X:
“While Democrats hoped low turnout would hand them a win, Republicans proved them wrong at the ballot box. We didn’t sit this one out. We showed up, voted, and protected conservative leadership across South Carolina,” the SCGOP continued. “Thank you to every voter who took time away from family gatherings, travel, and holiday plans to make your voice heard. That commitment is why we win.”
“Tonight’s results send a clear message: South Carolina Republicans show up when it matters and we’re heading into 2026 organized, energized, and stronger than ever.”
Correction: This article previously stated that the winning Republicans were incumbents. They were not.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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