2020 South Carolina Senate election

The 2020 South Carolina State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 2020 United States elections. South Carolina voters elected state senators in all 46 senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the South Carolina Senate, with all of the seats up for election each cycle. The primary elections on June 9, 2020, determined which candidates appeared on the November 3, 2020, general election ballot.

Following the previous election in 2016, Republicans had control of the South Carolina Senate with 27 seats to Democrats' 19 seats.

District 3 (May 30, 2017)
Following the succession of Republican Kevin Bryant to Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, the seat for District 3 became vacant. A primary was held April 11, a primary runoff was held on April 25, and the special election took place on May 30, 2017. The primary field was initially crowded with eight candidates including:


 * Don Bowen: ex-Representative of the 8th district in the South Carolina House of Representatives, 2007-2014.
 * Carol Burdette: Ex-towncouncil member and ex-Mayor of Pendleton, South Carolina.
 * Richard Cash: A business owner and anti-abortion activist. He previously challenged Lindsey Graham for his U.S. Senate seat in the 2014 United States Senate election in South Carolina with campaign messaging that Graham isn't conservative enough. Cash came in third in that primary with roughly 8% of the vote (26,000 votes).
 * James Galyean: Attorney who previously spent eight years as a chief counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.
 * John William Tucker, Jr.: ex-Representative of the 4th district in the South Carolina House of Representatives, 1985-1996.

Bryant endorsed Cash, and Cash ultimately won the primary after a head-to-head runoff with Burdette. Although he faced an uncontested general election, a last minute write-in effort was attempted. The majority of the write-ins were for Burdette, though she denied participating in the effort. Ultimately, the effort failed and Cash received almost 82% of the vote.

District 20 (November 6, 2018)
In March 2017, Republican John Courson was suspended from his seat on charges of corruption in the South Carolina State House. After pleading guilty to misconduct in office, he resigned in June, triggering a special election. Democratic and Republican primaries were held on August 14, a Republican primary runoff was held on August 28, and a special election was held on November 6, concurrently with the 2018 South Carolina House of Representatives election. Ultimately, Courson would escape jail time and only be required to perform 100 hours of community service for using campaign funds for personal expenses.

District 6 (March 26, 2019)
After William Timmons succeeded Trey Gowdy in representing South Carolina's 4th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, a special election was held to find a replacement senator for the 6th District. A Republican primary was held on January 22 and a special election was held on March 26.

Democrats

 * John W. Matthews Jr. (D–Orangeburg), representing District 39 since 1984. He had previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1975–1984. He announced that he would not seek re-election on March 10, 2020.

Republicans

 * Greg Gregory (R–Lancaster), representing District 16 from 1992–2008 and then since 2011. He announced that he would not seek re-election on October 23, 2019.
 * Paul G. Campbell Jr. (R–Berkeley), representing District 44 since 2007. He announced that he would not seek re-election on March 23, 2020.

Defeated
No incumbents were defeated in their primaries.
 * Luke A. Rankin (R–Horry), who has represented District 33 since 1992, was the only incumbent whose primary was forced to go to a runoff after he failed to obtain a majority share of the vote. The runoff took place on June 23, 2020, between Rankin and challenger John Gallman, and was won by Rankin.

District 1
District 1 covers parts of Oconee and Pickens Counties. Incumbent Thomas C. Alexander ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election. He was reelected to a seventh full-term in the Senate.

District 2
District 2 is a part of Pickens County. Incumbent Rex Rice ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election. He was reelected to his second term in office.

District 3
District 3 consists of the Northern parts of Anderson County.

Incumbent Richard Cash was challenged by Anderson County Councilman Craig Wooten in the Republican Primary. Both candidates took conservative stances, opposing abortion and illegal immigration while supporting the Second Amendment, economic development in the wake of COVID-19, and infrastructure improvements. Cash framed his candidacy around being a proven conservative who introduced legislation to stop abortions in South Carolina and to expand the rights to conceal-carry weapons. In contrast, Wooten framed himself as a less absolutist, more pragmatic conservative who sought to politically elevate Anderson County to the level of other major areas in South Carolina, such as Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia. During the primary race, over $150,000 was raised, and Cash was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund, Republican Liberty Caucus, and South Carolina Citizens for Life. Cash defeated Wooten with 57% of the vote.

Retired teacher Judith Polson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the general election, Cash was again endorsed by the same groups with the addition of the SC Chamber of Commerce. Cash was reelected with 74% of the vote, marking his first election to a full term.

District 4
District 4 is made up of parts of Abbeville, Anderson and Greenwood Counties. Incumbent Michael Gambrell ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Jose Villa ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the general election, Villa campaigned on Medicaid expansion and education and criminal justice reform. However, Gambrell defeated him with 73% of the vote, and was elected to his second term.

District 5
Incumbent Tom Corbin faced opposition in the Republican primary. Michael McCord ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 6
Incumbent Dwight Loftis ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Hao Wu ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 7
Incumbent Karl B. Allen faced opposition in the Democratic primary. Jack Logan ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 8
Incumbent Ross Turner faced opposition in the Republican primary, but ran unopposed in the general election.

District 9
Incumbent Danny Verdin ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election.

District 10
Incumbent Floyd Nicholson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 11
Incumbent Glenn Reese ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Josh Kimbrell ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 12
Incumbent Scott Talley faced opposition in the Republican primary. Dawn Bingham ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 13
Incumbent Shane Martin ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election.

District 14
Incumbent Harvey S. Peeler Jr. ran unopposed in the Republican primary, but faced opposition from a third-party candidate in the general election.

District 15
Incumbent Wes Climer ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Vickie Holt ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 16
This seat was one of three open seats in this election cycle. Four candidates ran in the Republican primary, with two advancing to a runoff. Ramin Mammadov ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 17
Incumbent Mike Fanning faced opposition in the Democratic primary. Erin Mosley ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 18
Incumbent Ronnie Cromer faced opposition in the Republican primary. Christopher Thibault ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 19
Incumbent John L. Scott Jr. ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and the general election.

District 20
Incumbent Dick Harpootlian ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 21
Incumbent Darrell Jackson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and the general election.

District 22
Incumbent Mia McLeod ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 23
Incumbent Katrina Shealy ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Bill Brown ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 24
Incumbent Tom Young Jr. ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Lisa Williams was set to run unopposed in the Democratic primary, but withdrew before it took place.

District 25
Incumbent A. Shane Massey faced opposition in the Republican primary. Shirley Green Fayson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 26
Incumbent Nikki G. Setzler ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 27
Incumbent Vincent Sheheen ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Penry Gustafson ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 28
Incumbent Greg Hembree ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election.

District 29
Incumbent Gerald Malloy ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 30
Incumbent Kent M. Williams faced opposition in the Democratic primary, but ran unopposed in the general election.

District 31
Incumbent Hugh Leatherman ran unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election.

District 32
Incumbent Ronnie A. Sabb faced opposition in the Democratic primary. David Ellison ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 33
Incumbent Luke A. Rankin faced opposition in the Republican primary, but ran unopposed in the general election.

District 34
Incumbent Stephen Goldfinch ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Emily Cegledy ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 35
Incumbent Thomas McElveen ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and the general election.

District 36
Incumbent Kevin L. Johnson faced opposition in the Democratic primary. Leon Winn ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 37
Incumbent Larry Grooms ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Kathryn Whitaker ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. A third-party candidate also contested the general election.

District 38
Incumbent Sean Bennett ran unopposed in the Republican primary. John Lowe ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 39
This seat was one of three open seats in this election cycle. Four candidates ran in the Democratic primary, with two advancing to a runoff. Tom Connor ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 40
Incumbent Brad Hutto faced opposition in the Democratic primary, but ran unopposed in the general election.

District 41
Incumbent Sandy Senn faced no opposition in the Republican primary. Two candidates ran in the Democratic primary.

District 42
Incumbent Marlon Kimpson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and the general election.

District 43
Incumbent Chip Campsen ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Richard Hricik ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

District 44
This seat was one of three open seats in this election cycle. Two candidates ran in the Democratic primary, and two candidates ran in the Republican primary.

District 45
Incumbent Margie Bright Matthews ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Rodney Buncum ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

District 46
Incumbent Tom Davis ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Nathan Campbell ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

General Elections
Uncontested elections are not included.