FOCUS: Five Lowcountry Senate races to keep an eye on

By Lindsay Street, Statehouse Report  |  Political observers are watching five Lowcountry state Senate seats as being ripe for plucking by Democrats in the November elections.  But Republicans aren’t worried about losing control of the Senate because they’ve targeted Democratic seats across the state that may flip, too.  Read the full story in Statehouse Report. 

“Democrats could pick up four races in Charleston County, and if Democrats win four races in Charleston County, they would be looking at a tie (in the Senate),” Democratic strategist Tyler Jones of Charleston said, adding that a tie could benefit Democrats since not all Republicans vote along party lines. He said a tie would have big consequences in 2021, a redistricting year.

But S.C. Republican Party Chair Drew McKissick isn’t worried:  “No fear at all about losing the Senate at all,” he said. “There are seats that are ripe for Republicans to win in this cycle in the Senate.”

1: Senate District 37 (Moncks Corner)

Republican Sen. Larry Grooms was first elected in a 1997 special election. Democratic challenger and communications professional Kathryn Whitaker is seeking to flip the seat. 

Grooms was unopposed in the general elections in 2016 and 2012. Much of the district lies in Republican-territory of Berkeley County, which voted for Republican congressional candidate Katie Arrington over Democratic candidate Joe Cunningham in 2018.

Still, Grooms only has a slight edge with individual campaign contributions as of July 10 with $189,144.20. Whitaker reported $115,051.31. 

2: Senate District 38 (Summerville)

Republican Sen. Sean Bennett won his Summerville seat and has maintained it since 2012 without a general election challenger. That will change in November with a Democratic bid from John Lowe, a Navy veteran who retired from Charleston County School District in 2019.

Like Berkeley County, Dorchester County — the majority of the district — also remains red despite the growing population outside Charleston. Financial planner Bennett has raised nearly $108 for every dollar Lowe has raised. According to July 10 campaign finance reports, Bennett reported $86,788.20 in contributions and Lowe reported $805 in contributions. 

3: Senate District 41 (Charleston)

This race is one of the most talked about among senators and political observers. Even Republican Sen. Sandy Senn talked about her reelection chances on the Senate floor this month. 

Senn, a lawyer, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Sam Skardon for this Charleston seat that helped give Cunningham his surprise 2018 win to Congress. Skardon, a former aide to the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, has a background in community development financing organizations.

Individual contributions as of July 10 showed a tight race with Senn reporting $189,637.32, and Skardon reporting $174,167.

4: Senate District 43 (Charleston)

Republican Sen. Chip Campsen is seeking a fifth term for this seat that he has represented since 2004 when he defeated his Democratic opponent by nearly 9,000 votes. He hasn’t faced a Democratic challenger since. In November, he will face Mount Pleasant attorney Richard Hricik. 

Attorney and businessman Campsen has championed conservation measures, which have earned him his tenure in the Charleston seat. But Hricik has countered Campsen’s long record in the Senate by saying voters deserve a candidate focused on many issues, such as education and health care — not just conservation. 

According to the July 10 campaign reports, Hricik has received $138,414.20 in individual contributions, and Campsen has received $187,011.70 for this election.

5: Senate District 44 (Charleston)

With Republican Sen. Paul Campbell retiring this year, this Charleston-area Berkeley County seat is up for grabs. Campbell has held the seat since 2008 and never faced a general election challenger.  But now, Democrats feel confident for a flip in a district that Cunningham won in 2018.

Democratic candidate Debbie Bryant, a former dean of nursing, is competing against retired North Charleston police officer Brian Adams, a Republican, for the seat. 

One political observer noted Bryant having a fundraising advantage over Adams, who previously ran for Berkeley County Sheriff and won an election to Berkeley County School Board only to resign weeks later. In July, Adams reported $5,685 in contributions, while Bryant reported $56,709.44 in contributions. 

Lindsay Street is Statehouse correspondent for Statehouse Report, our sister legislative publication.