Staff reports | Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, is not expected to seek re-election to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus, according to The Post and Courier.
“He will remain committed to being a bipartisan consensus builder in the Senate and working on behalf of his constituents and the people of South Carolina,” Caucus adviser Antjuan Seawright told the Lexington Chronicle. “Sen. Setzler is also dedicated to fostering a new generation of leadership within the Caucus, and will offer his continued counsel and guidance moving forward.”
In recent statewide elections, Senate Democrats lost three veteran members, which decreased the minority to 16 members. Among the senators reportedly interested in the post are, in alphabetical order: Brad Hutto of Orangeburg, Darrell Jackson of Hopkins, Gerald Malloy of Hartsville, Margie Bright Matthews of Walterboro and John Scott of Columbia.
Also in recent news:
More virus is on the way. By Thanksgiving, South Carolina should top 200,000 total cases of COVID-19, based on projections. As of this week, almost 190,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease — and about 1,000 new residents are getting it daily. The percent of people who test positive with the disease remains in the double digits. So far, the state has experienced more than 4,000 deaths, according to state health officials. As a new surge in infections is expected to drop south from midwestern and northern states, more South Carolinians are expected to get the disease and die from it.
Biden presidency could benefit state. President-elect Joe Biden got a critical boost when South Carolina voters put him over the top in February’s presidential primary. Now, South Carolina could benefit from a Biden administration with more federal funding for infrastructure, health care and education. “My plan is to hit the ground running with our federal representatives and the new administration to ensure we have the resources we need to truly tackle COVID, flooding, traffic, affordable housing, public safety and racial reconciliation,” Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg posted on Facebook Saturday. “Those are our top priorities here in Charleston, and we’re going to do everything we can to make them top priorities in Washington next year as well.” More.
Biden could tap S.C. leaders. With South Carolina playing a key role in giving President-elect Joe Biden a strong primary victory, which led to victories in several other states, several Democratic politicos are being talked about for big jobs in the incoming administration. Among those mentioned are:
- S.C. Sen. Dick Hartpootlian of Columbia, possibly for an ambassadorship;
- Jame Harrison, who lost a high-profile U.S. Senate race, for a top post or head of the Democratic National Committee;
- Former Gov. Jim Hodges;
- Outgoing Sen. Vincent Sheheen, former state Rep. Bakari Sellers, and former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom, possibly for ambassadorships;
- Others mentioned for key positions include Solicitor David Pascoe of Orangeburg; state Sen. Marlon Kimpson of Charleston; Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin; attorney Joe Rice of Mount Pleasant; businessman Billy Webster of Greenville; Columbia attorney Marguerite Willis; former state party director Amanda Loveday; and former HHS official Anton Gunn of the Charleston area.
No South Carolina leaders are being talked about as possible cabinet members, according to this article in The New York Times.
S.C. ballots tossed. State election officials said more than 3,000 of 4,000 ballots that were not counted were invalidated because of the lack of a witness signature. State lawmakers changed voting rules this year to allow everyone to vote by mail, but a witness signature requirement initially was not required. Court battles led the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the requirement.
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