2022 United States Senate election in South Carolina

The 2022 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Republican Senator Tim Scott won reelection to a second full term, defeating state representative Krystle Matthews. This was the third consecutive election for this seat where both major party nominees were black.

Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2013 following the resignation of fellow Republican Jim DeMint. With 61.1% of the vote, he won the 2014 special election to serve the remainder of DeMint's term. Scott was then re-elected to a full six-year term in 2016 with 60.6% of the vote.

Primary elections in South Carolina were held on June 14, 2022. Scott won the Republican primary unopposed, while Matthews won the Democratic primary in a June 28 runoff against historic preservationist Catherine Fleming Bruce.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Tim Scott, incumbent U.S. Senator (2013–present)

Withdrawn Timothy Swain (opted to run for State House seat 121, defeated in primary)

Endorsements

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Krystle Matthews, former state representative (2018–2022)

Eliminated in runoff Catherine Fleming Bruce, author and activistThe State (subscription required)

Eliminated in primary Angela Geter, former chair of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party candidate for South Carolina House of Representatives in 2017 and candidate in the 2024 South Carolina Senate election.

First round Results

Runoff Results

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 19, 2021 Inside Elections January 7, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 3, 2021PoliticoApril 1, 2022RCPJanuary 10, 2022Fox News May 12, 2022DDHQJuly 20, 2022538June 30, 2022The EconomistSeptember 7, 2022

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error TimScott (R) KrystleMatthews (D) LarryAdams Jr. (I) Other UndecidedEchelon InsightsEchelon InsightsAugust 31 – September 7, 2022600 (RV)± 5.1%54%37%––9%Moore Information Group (R)Moore Information Group (R)March 8–13, 2022500 (LV)± 4.0%57%25%5%2%11%

Results

By county Scott won 37 of 46 counties. CountyTim ScottRepublicanKrystle MatthewsDemocraticWrite-inVariousMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Abbeville6,25973.01%2,31026.95%40.05%3,94946.06%8,573Aiken37,54968.55%17,18031.36%500.09%20,36937.18%54,779Allendale58532.34%1,22467.66%00.00% -639 -35.32%1,809Anderson48,80177.14%14,39122.75%720.11%34,41054.39%63,264Bamberg1,82045.86%2,14954.14%00.00% -329 -8.29%3,969Barnwell3,80860.78%2,45339.15%40.06%1,35521.63%6,265Beaufort45,02363.05%26,33736.88%450.06%18,68626.17%71,405Berkeley44,40762.45%26,62237.44%750.11%17,78525.01%71,104Calhoun3,43061.26%2,15938.56%100.18%1,27122.70%5,599Charleston79,58652.43%71,98347.42%2300.15%7,6035.01%151,799Cherokee12,75379.11%3,35520.81%120.07%9,39858.30%16,120Chester5,95462.16%3,62137.80%40.04%2,33325.36%9,579Chesterfield8,29866.18%4,23433.77%60.05%4,06432.41%12,538Clarendon6,61257.95%4,79242.00%60.05%1,82015.95%11,410Colleton7,74761.94%4,75037.98%100.08%2,99723.96%12,507Darlington12,11660.50%7,89839.44%120.06%4,21821.06%20,026Dillon4,45656.53%3,42043.39%60.08%1,03613.14%7,882Dorchester30,81462.24%18,64337.65%550.11%12,17124.58%49,512Edgefield6,10869.35%2,68630.50%130.15%3,42238.86%8,807Fairfield3,88346.59%4,44453.32%70.08% -561 -6.73%8,334Florence24,11758.36%17,17141.55%350.08%6,94616.81%41,323Georgetown17,45763.81%9,88536.13%150.05%7,57227.68%27,357Greenville117,97466.50%59,10933.32%3160.18%58,86533.18%177,399Greenwood15,03369.07%6,72030.88%120.06%8,31338.19%21,765Hampton2,82550.21%2,79949.75%20.04%260.46%5,626Horry96,94172.78%36,19827.17%660.05%60,74345.60%133,205Jasper6,55459.10%4,53240.87%40.04%2,02218.23%11,090Kershaw14,93566.95%7,35932.99%140.06%7,57633.96%22,308Lancaster23,15967.15%11,30632.78%230.07%11,85334.37%34,488Laurens14,50473.42%5,21426.39%380.19%9,29047.02%19,756Lee2,20942.16%3,02857.79%30.06% -819 -15.63%5,240Lexington70,11370.74%28,88429.14%1120.11%41,22941.60%99,109Marion3,95247.18%4,42152.78%40.05% -469 -5.60%8,377Marlboro3,30851.00%3,16948.86%90.14%1392.14%6,486McCormick2,81861.72%1,74838.28%00.00%1,07023.43%4,566Newberry8,96770.32%3,77529.60%100.08%5,19240.72%12,752Oconee22,92379.27%5,97520.66%210.07%16,94858.61%28,919Orangeburg10,02438.35%16,09661.59%160.06% -6,072 -23.23%26,136Pickens32,02879.90%8,01219.99%430.11%24,01659.92%40,083Richland46,98937.19%79,13062.63%2360.19% -32,141 -25.44%126,355Saluda4,93875.45%1,60524.52%20.03%3,33350.92%6,545Spartanburg68,03070.26%28,68129.62%1110.11%39,34940.64%96,822Sumter15,10049.40%15,44250.52%240.08% -342 -1.12%30,566Union5,99169.35%2,64630.63%20.02%3,34538.72%8,639Williamsburg4,04741.53%5,69558.45%20.02% -1,648 -16.91%9,744York61,32964.04%34,36535.88%710.07%26,96428.16%95,765Totals1,066,27462.88%627,61637.01%1,8120.11%438,65825.87%1,695,702

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Hampton (largest city: Hampton) Jasper (largest city: Hardeeville) Marlboro (largest city: Bennettsville)

By congressional district Scott won six of seven congressional districts. District Scott Matthews Representative 62% 38%Nancy Mace 62% 38%Joe Wilson 75% 25%Jeff Duncan 67% 33%William Timmons 65% 35%Ralph Norman 41% 59%Jim Clyburn67%33%Tom Rice (117th Congress)Russell Fry (118th Congress)

See also 2022 United States Senate elections 2022 South Carolina elections

Notes

References

External links This Week in South Carolina | Midterm Election Recap - South Carolina ETV Official campaign websites (archived) Krystle Matthews (D) for Senate Tim Scott (R) for Senate Catherine Fleming Bruce (D) for United States Senate Angela Geter