United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010 along with other elections to the United States Senate
in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican
U.S. Senator
Jim DeMint
won re-election to a second term. Alvin Greene
, the Democratic nominee, was the first major-party African-American U.S. Senate candidate in South Carolina since Reconstruction.
. Greene's primary election win and his margin of victory surprised pundits. As of the primary, he had held no public campaign events, raised no money, and did not have a campaign website. A review of the primary election showed that of the state's 46 counties, half had a significant gap between the absentee and primary day ballots. For example, in Lancaster County, Vic Rawl won the absentees with 84 percent, while Greene won primary day by a double digit margin. Rawl's campaign manager also claimed that "In only two of 88 precincts, do the number of votes Greene got plus the number we got equal the total cast."
U.S. Congressman James Clyburn recommended Greene drop out of the race or he would face a federal investigation into his candidacy – even as he faces a felony obscenity charge in Richland County from November 2009. Clyburn said "There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary. I don't know if he was a Republican plant; he was someone's plant." Political blog FiveThirtyEight's Tom Schaller suggests three possibilities: a legitimate vote, the vote was rigged, or the vote-counting software was corrupted. Schaller ruled out the possibility of Republican infiltration, similar to Rush Limbaugh
's "Operation Chaos" in 2008.
Green Party challenger Tom Clements
won the endorsement of the Greater Columbia Central Labor Council of the South Carolina AFL-CIO
, a coalition of labor unions. Although the national media and Rasmussen Reports typically do not include Clements in their coverage of the race, the Clements campaign has received regional media coverage. The September 7 Columbia City Paper featured Clements on its cover. The paper noted that the Clements campaign was "starting to get some considerable media coverage, both locally and nationally". A Winthrop University poll conducted between October 5 and 10 of 741 likely South Carolina voters found Clements running second with 12.2% of the vote against 11.2% for Democrat Alvin Greene and 58.3% for incumbent Jim DeMint. An October 13 article in the Columbia Free Times noted that prominent Democrats were privately donating money to the Clements campaign. According to the FEC, as of September 30, Clements for Senate had raised $34,334. Jim DeMint had raised in excess of $3 million. Alvin Greene reported no fundraising activities.
Write-in candidates also joined the race, including the Reverend Mazie Ferguson, Mauldin High School teacher Greg Snoad, Michael C Neumann citing the disparity between the direction the government is headed and the will of the people, and chef Nathalie Dupree
, who insists that DeMint is spending too much time campaigning in other states, while Greene is failing to challenge DeMint. Mazie Ferguson was endorsed by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
in late August. Clyburn said he would not vote for his party's nominee due to Alvin Greene's felony indictment.
Jim DeMint largely campaigned outside South Carolina for Republican Senate candidates identified with the Tea Party. Diverse media outlets have frequently referred to DeMint as a party "kingmaker" for supporting successful primary challengers to mainstream Republican candidates.
At an October 3 appearance before a rally at Spartanburg North Baptist Church, Demint reminded the audience of his 2004 comments that gay men and sexually active single women should be prohibited from teaching in public schools. The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported:
The remarks attracted national media attention, largely critical. DeMint defended the statements, saying that local school boards should decide the issue. Challenger Tom Clements condemned DeMint's stance in a subsequent interview with the Herald-Journal:
Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint:
Official campaign websites
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
won re-election to a second term. Alvin Greene
Alvin Greene
Alvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and...
, the Democratic nominee, was the first major-party African-American U.S. Senate candidate in South Carolina since Reconstruction.
Candidates
- Alvin GreeneAlvin GreeneAlvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and...
, military veteran - Vic RawlVic RawlA. Victor Rawl is a member of the Charleston County council in Charleston, South Carolina. Rawl was a candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina in 2010; he lost the Democratic primary to Alvin Greene in a surprise upset and unsuccessfully protested the outcome of the race.-Personal:Rawl grew up...
, Charleston CountyCharleston County, South CarolinaCharleston County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to a 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, its population was 330,368. Its county seat is Charleston. It is the third-most populous county in the state . Charleston County was created in 1901 by an act of the South...
Council member and former state legislatorSouth Carolina General AssemblyThe South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
Results
Results
Candidates
- Tom ClementsTom Clements (politician)Tom Clements is a South Carolina environmental activist and politician. Clements was the Green Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. Clements received more than 9% of the general election. He is the Southeastern Nuclear Campaign Coordinator for the US branch...
(Green), environmental activist and Southeast Director Friends of the Earth - Jim DeMintJim DeMintJames Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
(Republican), incumbent U.S. Senator - Alvin GreeneAlvin GreeneAlvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and...
(Democratic), U.S. Army service military veteran - Nathalie DupreeNathalie DupreeNathalie Dupree is an author, chef and cooking show host whose work has focused on American Southern cuisine. She was the first woman since Julia Child to host more than one hundred cooking episodes on public television...
(Independent, write-in), Chef - Mazie Ferguson (Democratic, write-in), attorney, civil rights activist, and ordained Baptist minister
- Greg Snoad (Independent, write-in), teacher at Mauldin High School (government, economics, and history) for 25 years, and former Gray CourtGray Court, South CarolinaGray Court is a town in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
town councilman - Michael C Neumann (Republican, write-in), civilian contractor, spent 5 years serving U.S. troops in Iraq/Kuwait
Campaign
Controversies surrounded the Democratic nominee, Alvin GreeneAlvin Greene
Alvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and...
. Greene's primary election win and his margin of victory surprised pundits. As of the primary, he had held no public campaign events, raised no money, and did not have a campaign website. A review of the primary election showed that of the state's 46 counties, half had a significant gap between the absentee and primary day ballots. For example, in Lancaster County, Vic Rawl won the absentees with 84 percent, while Greene won primary day by a double digit margin. Rawl's campaign manager also claimed that "In only two of 88 precincts, do the number of votes Greene got plus the number we got equal the total cast."
U.S. Congressman James Clyburn recommended Greene drop out of the race or he would face a federal investigation into his candidacy – even as he faces a felony obscenity charge in Richland County from November 2009. Clyburn said "There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary. I don't know if he was a Republican plant; he was someone's plant." Political blog FiveThirtyEight's Tom Schaller suggests three possibilities: a legitimate vote, the vote was rigged, or the vote-counting software was corrupted. Schaller ruled out the possibility of Republican infiltration, similar to Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
's "Operation Chaos" in 2008.
Green Party challenger Tom Clements
Tom Clements (politician)
Tom Clements is a South Carolina environmental activist and politician. Clements was the Green Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. Clements received more than 9% of the general election. He is the Southeastern Nuclear Campaign Coordinator for the US branch...
won the endorsement of the Greater Columbia Central Labor Council of the South Carolina AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, a coalition of labor unions. Although the national media and Rasmussen Reports typically do not include Clements in their coverage of the race, the Clements campaign has received regional media coverage. The September 7 Columbia City Paper featured Clements on its cover. The paper noted that the Clements campaign was "starting to get some considerable media coverage, both locally and nationally". A Winthrop University poll conducted between October 5 and 10 of 741 likely South Carolina voters found Clements running second with 12.2% of the vote against 11.2% for Democrat Alvin Greene and 58.3% for incumbent Jim DeMint. An October 13 article in the Columbia Free Times noted that prominent Democrats were privately donating money to the Clements campaign. According to the FEC, as of September 30, Clements for Senate had raised $34,334. Jim DeMint had raised in excess of $3 million. Alvin Greene reported no fundraising activities.
Write-in candidates also joined the race, including the Reverend Mazie Ferguson, Mauldin High School teacher Greg Snoad, Michael C Neumann citing the disparity between the direction the government is headed and the will of the people, and chef Nathalie Dupree
Nathalie Dupree
Nathalie Dupree is an author, chef and cooking show host whose work has focused on American Southern cuisine. She was the first woman since Julia Child to host more than one hundred cooking episodes on public television...
, who insists that DeMint is spending too much time campaigning in other states, while Greene is failing to challenge DeMint. Mazie Ferguson was endorsed by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
Jim Clyburn
James Enos "Jim" Clyburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the Assistant Democratic Leader since 2011. He was previously House Majority Whip, serving in that post from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
in late August. Clyburn said he would not vote for his party's nominee due to Alvin Greene's felony indictment.
Jim DeMint largely campaigned outside South Carolina for Republican Senate candidates identified with the Tea Party. Diverse media outlets have frequently referred to DeMint as a party "kingmaker" for supporting successful primary challengers to mainstream Republican candidates.
At an October 3 appearance before a rally at Spartanburg North Baptist Church, Demint reminded the audience of his 2004 comments that gay men and sexually active single women should be prohibited from teaching in public schools. The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported:
'DeMint said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn't be teaching in the classroom and he holds the same position on an unmarried woman who's sleeping with her boyfriend — she shouldn't be in the classroom.
“(When I said those things,) no one came to my defense,” he said. “But everyone would come to me and whisper that I shouldn't back down. They don't want government purging their rights and their freedom to religion.”
The remarks attracted national media attention, largely critical. DeMint defended the statements, saying that local school boards should decide the issue. Challenger Tom Clements condemned DeMint's stance in a subsequent interview with the Herald-Journal:
“He's trying to push his version of religion onto the entire country. And I believe in separation of church and state. And I do believe that gay people should have equal rights,” Clements said. “That's his belief, but I don't think he can force that on society as a whole or the public school system.”
Organization endorsements
Tom Clements:- Sierra ClubSierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
- Columbia Central Labor Council (AFL-CIOAFL-CIOThe American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
) - Friends of the Earth Action
- South Carolina Latino Political Action Committee
Jim DeMint
- National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund
- Citizens for a Sound EconomyCitizens for a Sound EconomyCitizens for a Sound Economy was a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into two new organizations, with Citizens for a Sound...
- Americans For Legal Immigration
Newspaper endorsements
Tom Clements:- Rock Hill Herald
Jim DeMint:
- Florence Morning News
- Charleston Post and Courier
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five... |
Solid R | October 8, 2010 |
| Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg Stuart Rothenberg is an American editor, publisher, and political analyst best known for his Washington-based, biweekly, self-proclaimed non-partisan political newsletter The Rothenberg Political Report... |
Safe R | October 1, 2010 |
| Real Clear Politics | Safe R | |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato's Crystal Ball Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races... |
Safe R | September 30, 2010 |
| CQ Politics Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress... |
Safe R | October 8, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Jim DeMint (R) | Alvin Greene (D) | Tom Clements (G) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | October 19, 2010 | 58% | 21% | –– | 15% | 6% |
| Winthrop University | October 5–10, 2010 | 58% | 11% | 12% | 3% | 14% |
| Crantford & Associates | October 2, 2010 | 58% | 21% | –– | 10% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 22, 2010 | 64% | 21% | –– | 10% | 5% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 25, 2010 | 63% | 19% | –– | 8% | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 3, 2010 | 62% | 20% | –– | 7% | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 10, 2010 | 58% | 21% | –– | 9% | 13% |
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim DeMint (R) | $3,521,210 | $2,915,717 | $2,224,594 | $0 |
| Alvin Greene (D) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tom Clements (G) | $45,131 | $20,216 | $24,915 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission | ||||
Results
External links
- South Carolina State Election Commission
- U.S. Congress candidates for South Carolina at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- South Carolina U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open SecretsOpen SecretsOpen Secrets is a book of short stories by Alice Munro published by McClelland and Stewart in 1994. It was nominated for the 1994 Governor General's Award for English Fiction.-Stories:* "Carried Away"* "A Real Life"...
- 2010 South Carolina Senate General Election: DeMint (R) vs Greene (D) graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
- Election 2010: South Carolina Senate from Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
- 2010 South Carolina Senate Race from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Race profile from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Official campaign websites