Politics

Democrats Score Landslide Special Election Win in South Carolina

By Jake Beardslee · June 4, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Keishan Scott, a 24-year-old member of the Bishopville City Council, won a landslide victory in South Carolina’s House District 50 special election on Tuesday. Scott secured more than 70 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Bill Oden, a former chair of the Sumter County GOP, who received just over 29 percent, according to unofficial state election commission results.

“This victory is definitely not mine alone. It belongs to all the people of this District 50 that got out to exercise your right to vote,” Scott said in his victory speech. “Every day that I go to the statehouse that I will carry the needs of the people.”

Scott’s win will not change the Republican supermajority in the South Carolina legislature, but it adds to the Democratic Party’s recent string of special election successes. He will hold the seat until the next general election, scheduled for November 2026.

The seat was vacated in January by Democrat Will Wheeler, who resigned just three days into the legislative session. Wheeler’s departure left the rural district without representation for the remainder of the session.

Scott campaigned on improving access to health care, education, infrastructure and workforce development. He was first elected to the Bishopville City Council in 2023 and is now the youngest member of the state legislature since Brandon Newton, a Republican who was elected at age 22 in 2016.

Despite a challenging national political landscape for Democrats, party leaders hailed Scott’s victory as a sign of renewed grassroots strength. U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn called the race “the beginning of a Democratic comeback here in South Carolina” and emphasized its importance in an endorsement video.

Todd Rutherford, the Democratic leader in the South Carolina House, said, “Keishan proved what is possible when we organize and run a sharp, focused campaign. His win sets the tone for 2026.”

The Democratic National Committee referred to the result as part of the party’s “overperformance streak” in 2024. Previous special election wins in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have also been used by the party to suggest a rebound in support despite poor polling numbers.

A March NBC News poll found that only 27 percent of Americans held a favorable view of the Democratic Party, the lowest number since the poll began tracking in 1990. Party support has seen notable declines among young, Black and middle-class voters.

DNC Chairman Ken Martin stated on X, “As long as Trump and MAGA Republicans peddle an out-of-touch agenda that puts billionaires’ interests first and takes away health care from millions of Americans, they will continue to sink and lose.”

Scott said after the win, “I’m humbled by the trust the people of District 50 have placed in me. This victory belongs to everyone who believes in a better future for our communities. Now I’m ready to get to work for the people of Lee, Sumter, and Kershaw Counties.”