The 2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina took place on November 4, 2014, concurrently with the regular election for the other South Carolina Senate seat. The special-election Senate seat was formerly held by Republican Jim DeMint, who resigned on January 1, 2013. Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, announced the appointment of U.S. Representative Tim Scott to fill the seat. Scott ran in the special election and won by beating Democratic candidate and Richland County councilwoman Joyce Dickerson in the November election. This was only the second Senate election since the Seventeenth Amendment (after Illinois in 2004) in which both major party nominees were black, the third being the 2016 Senate election in which Scott also ran.
Background
Incumbent Jim DeMint announced on December 6, 2012 that he would resign the Senate seat effective January 1, 2013, to become the president of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, appointed a replacement to fill the seat until the special election. Haley indicated that she would not appoint a "placeholder" to the seat, but would appoint someone who would stand in a 2014 special election to serve the remaining two years of DeMint's term.
Potential replacements
According to sources close to Governor Haley, as of December 11, 2012, she had narrowed the list of potential appointees down to five: U.S. Representatives Tim Scott and Trey Gowdy, former South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, former First Lady of South Carolina Jenny Sanford, and Catherine Templeton, who heads the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Other politicians mentioned as possible replacements for DeMint included U.S. Representative Mick Mulvaney, South Carolina Representative Nathan Ballentine, former U.S. Representative Gresham Barrett, U.S. Representative Joe Wilson, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, former Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, former South Carolina Republican Party chairman Katon Dawson, and Haley's deputy chief of staff Tedd Pitts. Comedian Stephen Colbert, a South Carolina native, expressed interest in being appointed the seat, asking his fans to tweet Haley that she should appoint him. Chad Walldorf, the owner of the Sticky Fingers restaurant chain, had also been mentioned as a potential placeholder.
A Public Policy Polling poll released on December 10, 2012, which asked respondents who they wanted to replace DeMint, showed Colbert with the highest total. Colbert had support at 20 percent, followed by Scott at 15 percent, Gowdy at 14 percent, and Sanford at 11 percent. Haley said that she would not appoint Colbert to the seat.
On December 17, 2012, Haley announced that she would appoint Scott to DeMint's seat following his resignation.
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Tim Scott, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Randall Young
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Joyce Dickerson, Richland County Councilwoman and former Chair of the National Foundation for Women Legislators
- Sidney Moore, former York County Councilman
- Harry Pavilack, attorney and candidate for South Carolina's 7th congressional district in 2012
Withdrew
- Rick Wade, former United States Department of Commerce official and nominee for Secretary of State of South Carolina in 2002
Declined
- Jim Hodges, former Governor of South Carolina
- John L. Scott, Jr., State Senator
- James E. Smith, Jr., State Representative (running for re-election)
- Leon Stavrinakis, State Representative (running for re-election)
Polling
Results
Independent and Third Parties
Candidates
Declared
- Jill Bossi (American Party), Vice President of the American Red Cross
Removed from ballot
- Brandon Armstrong (Independent), businesswoman
General election
Endorsements
Polling
Results
See also
- United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2014
- United States Senate elections, 2014
- United States elections, 2014
References
External links
- U.S. Senate special election in South_Carolina, 2014 at Ballotpedia
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
- Tim Scott for U.S. Senate
- Jill Bossi for U.S. Senate
- Joyce Dickerson for U.S. Senate