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South Carolina Republicans Take Victory Lap And Show Us All How National Party Can Win Midterms

By POLITICS

South Carolina Republicans are rightly taking a victory lap. In an off-year election, just days before a major holiday—when turnout is usually anemic—they still managed to rack up wins in three state legislative races. That’s not luck; that’s organization and enthusiasm.

Former state senator Lee Bright jumped back into the arena and cruised to victory in District 12, crushing a left-wing write-in candidate with a commanding 68 percent of the vote. In a political climate where Democrats insist their agenda is surging, results like this tell a very different story:

The results are clear from Tuesday’s special election — Lee Bright is heading back to the South Carolina Senate to represent District 12.

He won with 68.43% of the vote, while the remaining 31.57% of the vote went toward write-in ballots.

Bright, known for his vocal conservatism, previously served in the District 12 seat from 2009 to 2017. He announced his candidacy after Senator Roger Nutt announced in April that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Nutt will step down in January.

The South Carolina Republican Party is asserting that they succeeded in mobilizing voters, and there may be some truth to that claim. Even with Democrats rallying their write-in candidates, Republicans managed to maintain their foothold and even gained a seat in the state House of Representatives:

Meanwhile, activist Dianne Mitchell triumphed through a four-person primary, runoff and subsequent recount to claim the seat representing House District 21, which includes southern Greer, Taylors, Roper Mountain, Sugar Creek, Pelham Road and parts of Five Forks.

Mitchell is no stranger to the Statehouse, either. She spearheaded efforts in 2022 to pass the “Save Women’s Sports” bill, testifying in committee to support the law that requires transgender students to participate on sports teams that match their gender assigned at birth — not the one they identify with.

She also opposed the record-breaking Scout Motors incentive package and an income tax reform package this spring proposed by Republicans that would’ve raised taxes for middle- and low-income earners by hundreds of dollars.

Now retired, she has led several Republican organizations. She was formerly president of the Greenville Republican Women’s Club.

She defeated write-in Democratic candidate Dexter Reaves, claiming 70 percent of the vote according to unofficial tallies.

The grassroots South Carolina Freedom Caucus is celebrating its victory over establishment Republican candidates. The Caucus supported Mitchell and Pastor John Lastinger, who successfully secured the House District 88 seat, previously held by a Republican who fell from grace:

In the Midlands region of the state, conservatives retained a seat vacated in August by disgraced state representative RJ May III – the former Freedom Caucus leader who pleaded guilty three months ago to graphic child pornography charges.

Lexington County pastor John Lastinger – whose candidacy was backed by the Freedom Caucus – was targeted for defeat by the GOP establishment in the race for S.C. House District 88 (.pdf) in Lexington County. Lastinger was slammed with multiple negative ads from the so-called S.C. Growth and Freedom Alliance – a dark money group organized by supporters of status quo S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith.

 

As we saw in Tennessee’s District 7 race between now–Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Epps and progressive Democrat Aftyn Behn, the hard-left wing of the Democrat Party is relentless, disciplined, and well-organized. They don’t take elections off, and they don’t rely on vibes—they build infrastructure and grind.

Republicans would be foolish not to take the hint. Matching that level of tenacity and improving grassroots organization isn’t optional, especially with the midterms fast approaching. Control of the United States Senate is very much at stake, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) once again finds himself in a familiar position: under fire from Democrats on one side and restless grassroots Republicans on the other. If Republicans want to hold the line, showing up—and staying organized—will matter more than ever:

This local grassroots victory has the potential to resonate on a national scale. As we look ahead, all attention is focused on 2026.

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