Filing closed for SC’s 2024 elections. Who’s running in Midlands Senate primaries
Filing closed Monday for the 2024 legislative elections and six state Senate districts in the Midlands will have primary battles in June.
This will be the first election with the newly drawn Senate district lines since the reapportionment after the 2020 Census as candidates run for four-year terms in the General Assembly’s upper chamber.
Out of the 46 seats in the Senate, 12 state senators did not draw any challengers either in the primary or general election allowing them to all but assure reelection in November, save for a write-in campaign.
Primary elections for Democratic and Republican nominations are scheduled for June 11, with any necessary runoffs scheduled for June 25.
Districts with contested primaries
▪ In District 19 . State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Richland, who won the seat in January in a special election, received a Democratic primary challenge from Michael A. Addison.
Chris Nelums, who ran for the seat in the January special election as the United Citizens Party candidate, again has filed to run in the November general election for the same party.
▪ In District 22 Democratic candidates Ivory Thigpen, who is currently a state representative and Black Caucus chairman, Oveture Walker, a current Richland County Council member, and Monica Elkins, a Richland 2 school board member, are vying for the seat currently held by state Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Richland.
Republican Lee Blatt and Workers Party candidate Gary Votour also filed to run for the seat.
McLeod announced she would not seek reelection.
▪ In District 23, state Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington is seeking reelection, and has a primary challenges from Carlisle Kennedy and Zoe Warren.
▪ In District 26, state Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, isn’t running again. A primary battle is brewing between State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, who was drawn into the same district with Setzler, and state Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun.,
Republicans Jason Guerry, Billy R. Oswald and Chris Smith, who challenged Setzler in 2020, have filed.
Workers Party candidate Harrold Geddings also filed.
▪ In District 27, state State Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Kershaw, is receiving a primary challenge from Lancaster County Board Member Allen Blackmon. Democrat Yokima Cureton also has filed.
▪ In District 35 Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter, won’t seek reelection. Democrats Austin B. Floyd Jr., Jeffrey Graham, Lucy Mahon, Dwight C. Moore and Melissa J. Weeks-Richardson have filed. Republicans Lindsay Agostini, Christina Allard, Jerry Chivers and Mike Jones filed to run for the seat.
▪ In District 17, state Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield, has filed to run for reelection. Three Republicans also are seeking the seat: Tibi Czentye, Tripp McCoy and Everett Stubbs.
Races that will be contested in November’s election
▪ In the Charlotte-area 15th District, state Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, is seeking reelection. Sarah Work of the Alliance Party also has filed.
▪ In the 16th District, state Sen. Michael Johnson, R-York, is seeking reelection. Kiral Mace of the Workers Party filed to run.
▪ In District 24, state Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken is seeking reelection. Democrat Dee Elder also has filed.
Uncontested races
▪ In Senate District 18, state Sen. Ronnie Cromer, R-Newberry, is seeking another term.
▪ In District 21, which covers part of Richland County, state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, is seeking reelection.
▪ In District 25, state Sen. Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, is seeking reelection. Massey also serves as Senate majority leader.
