South Carolina Republicans are taking a victory lap. In an off-year election, days before a major holiday, they managed to pull off wins for three state legislator seats.
Former state senator Lee Bright put his hat back into the ring and won the District 12 seat, gaining 68 percent of the vote over a progressive write-in candidate.
Congratulations @leebright on your huge win in the General Special Election tonight! We are so thankful for another courageous Christian who will champion equal protection for our preborn neighbors! 🎉 🎈 https://t.co/SUe3WdNGf6 pic.twitter.com/14R0nn8ujB
— Equal Protection SC (@EPSouthCarolina) December 24, 2025
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.
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But the SC Republican Party is claiming they turned out the vote, and that may hold a germ of truth. Despite Democrats’ rallying their write-in candidates, Republicans held and gained a seat in the state House of Representatives.
Tomorrow, South Carolinians have a chance to make their voices heard in three critical special elections!
Write in Steve Evered — Senate District 12
Write in Dexter Reaves — House District 21
Vote Chuck Hightower — House District 88#SCVotes #SCDems #VoteBlue pic.twitter.com/yCyHFijPt3— South Carolina Democratic Party (@scdp) December 22, 2025
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 the defeat of establishment Republican candidates. The Freedom Caucus backed Mitchell and Pastor John Lastinger, who succeeded in holding the House District 88 seat once occupied by a disgraced Republican.
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.
South Carolina State House 88 Special Election
Fully reported:
🔴 John Lastinger – 1,672 (62.3%)
🔵 J. Chuck Hightower – 1,010 (37.7%)This district was Trump+37 in 2024, so this is a 12 point overperformance for Democrats.
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) December 24, 2025
🚨JUST IN: John Lastinger (R) WINS South Carolina State House 88 Special Election in a landslide, defeating Chuck Hightower (D), 62%-38% pic.twitter.com/GI70bPzY4E
— DK🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 (@1Nicdar) December 24, 2025
As we saw in the Tennessee District 7 representative race between now-Republican U.S. Rep Matt Epps and progressive Democrat Aftyn Behn, the leftist wing of the Democrat Party is both relentless and well-organized. Therefore, Republicans must also become just as tenacious and up their organization, especially as the midterms loom large. The U.S. Senate hangs in the balance, and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) is once again vulnerable, with Democrats as well as grassroots Republicans gunning for him.
With a 10 point over performance, we can beat Lindsey Graham in the US Senate race in 2026! Donate to my US Senate campaign today!https://t.co/mhhbHe1jE0
— Catherine Fleming Bruce (@BruceNotGraham) December 24, 2025
This grassroots victory on the local level could play out on the national level. All eyes are now on 2026.
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