In making endorsements, CVSC’s Board of Directors considers a candidate’s record, experience, leadership, viability and interest in conservation. We do not expect candidates to be experts on our current issues, so we do not ask for commitments on specific positions. We look forward to a conversation with candidates about their legislative priorities.
Please note, that CVSC rarely makes local endorsements – often only in exceptional circumstances. The 2021 endorsement below is our first-ever endorsement in a municipal election. We do not anticipate making local endorsements in every local election or in every election year.
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Endorsement Letter | General Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia City Council At-Large | Deitra Stover Matthews | Letter | Lost |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Endorsement Letter | Primary Result | General Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate District 7 | Karl Allen (D) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 10 | Floyd Nicholson (D) | Letter | N/A | Lost | |
| Senate District 11 | Glenn Reese (D) | Letter | N/A | Lost | |
| Senate District 12 | Scott Talley (R) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 16 (open) | Michael Johnson (R) | Letter | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| Senate District 17 | Mike Fanning (D) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 18 | Ronnie Cromer (R) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 20 | Dick Harpootlian (D) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 22 | Mia McLeod (D) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 23 | Katrina Shealy (R) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 24 | Tom Young (R) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 26 | Nikki Setzler (D) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 27 | Vincent Sheheen (D) | Letter | N/A | Lost | |
| Senate District 29 | Gerald Malloy (D) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 32 | Ronnie Sabb (D) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 36 | Kevin Johnson (D) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 37 | Larry Grooms (R) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 39 (open) | Vernon Stephens (D) | Letter | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| Senate District 40 | Brad Hutto (D) | Letter | Won | Won | |
| Senate District 41 | Sandy Senn (R) | Letter | N/A | ||
| Senate District 43 | Chip Campsen (R) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 45 | Margie Bright-Matthews (D) | Letter | N/A | Won | |
| Senate District 46 | Tom Davis (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Endorsement Letter | Primary Result | General Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House District 3 (open) | Jerry Carter (R) | Letter | Runoff-Won | Won |
| House District 5 | Neal Collins (R) | Letter | Runoff-Won | Won |
| House District 8 | Vaughn Parfitt (R) | Letter | Lost | |
| House District 10 | West Cox (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 15 | JA Moore (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 25 | Leola Robinson-Simpson (D) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 28 | Ashley Trantham (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 33 (open) | Travis Moore (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 35 | Chris Bennett (R) | Letter | Runoff-Lost | |
| House District 43 | Randy Ligon (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 44 | Mandy Powers Norrell (D) | Letter | N/A | Lost |
| House District 47 | Tommy Pope (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 49 | John King (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 52 | Laurie Funderburk (D) | Letter | N/A | Lost |
| House District 54 | Pat Henegan (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 64 (open) | Kimberly Johnson (D) | Letter | Won | |
| House District 66 | Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 71 | Nathan Ballentine (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 78 | Beth Bernstein (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 79 | Ivory Thigpen (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 80 | Jermaine Johnson (D) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 94 (open) | Gil Gatch (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 95 | Jerry Govan (D) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 97 | Mandy Kimmons (R) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 100 | Sylleste Davis (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 109 (open) | Deon Tedder (D) | Letter | Runoff-Won | Won |
| House District 110 | William Cogswell (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 113 | Marvin Pendarvis (D) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 115 (open) | Spencer Wetmore (D) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 118 | Bill Herbkersman (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 117 | Krystle Matthews (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 119 | Leon Stavrinakis (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 122 | Shedron Williams (D) | Letter | N/A | Won |
| House District 123 | Jeff Bradley (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| House District 124 | Shannon Erickson (R) | Letter | Won | Won |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Endorsement Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Senate District 35 | Thomas McElveen (D) | Letter |
| Senate District 42 | Marlon Kimpson (D) | Letter |
| House District 21 | Bobby Cox (R) | Letter |
| House District 23 | Chandra Dillard (D) | Letter |
| House District 31 | Rosalyn Henderson Myers (D) | Letter |
| House District 50 | Will Wheeler (D) | Letter |
| House District 61 | Roger Kirby (D) | Letter |
| House District 69 | Chris Wooten (R) | Letter |
| House District 70 | Wendy Brawley (D) | Letter |
| House District 72 | Seth Rose (D) | Letter |
| House District 89 | Micah Caskey (R) | Letter |
| House District 93 | Rusell Ott (D) | Letter |
| House District 120 | Weston Newton (R) | Letter |
| Endorsed Candidate | Primary Result | General Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rep. James Smith | Won | Lost |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Primary Result | General Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate District 20 | Dick Harpootlian (D) | Won | Won |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Primary Result | General Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 10 | West Cox (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 21 | Bobby Cox (R) | Won | Won |
| District 25 | Rep. Leola Robinson-Simpson (D) | Won | Won |
| District 32 | Max Hyde (R) | Won | Won |
| District 41 | Rep. MaryGail Douglas (D) | Lost | |
| District 43 | Randy Ligon (R) | Won | Won |
| District 47 | Rep. Tommy Pope (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 49 | Rep. John King (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 52 | Rep. Laurie Slade Funderburk (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 62 | Rep. Robert Williams (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 67 | Rep. Murrell Smith (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 71 | Rep. Nathan Ballentine (R) | Won | Won |
| District 75 | Rep. Kirkman Finlay (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 77 | Kambrell Garvin (D) | Won | Won |
| District 84 | Rep. Ronnie Young (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 85 | Rep. Chip Huggins (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 89 | Rep. Micah Caskey (R) | Won | Won |
| District 93 | Rep. Russell Ott (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 94 | Con Chellis (R) | Won | Won |
| District 97 | Rep. Patsy Knight (D) | n/a | Lost |
| District 98 | Rep. Chris Murhpy (R) | Won | Won |
| District 101 | Rep. Cezar McKnight (D) | Won | Won |
| District 102 | Rep. Joe Jefferson (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 109 | Rep. David Mack (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 110 | Rep. William Cogswell (R) | Won(Runoff) | Won |
| District 112 | Rep. Mike Sottile (R) | Won | Won |
| District 114 | Rep. Lin Bennett (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 115 | Rep. Peter McCoy (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 116 | Rep. Robert Brown (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 117 | Jordan Scott Pace (R) | Lost | |
| District 119 | Rep. Leon Stavrinakis (D) | n/a | Won |
| District 120 | Rep. Weston Newton (R) | n/a | Won |
| District 123 | Rep. Jeff Bradley (R) | n/a | Won |
2016 Endorsements
To date, CVSC has endorsed 31 Republicans and 20 Democrats for state legislative offices in 2016.
Primary Contests: Of our endorsed candidates facing primary opposition, 70% won their primary.
General Contests: All of our candidates competing in general election contests won their respective races, a 100% rate for general election contests.
Combined: Combining primary and general endorsements, CVSC had a 82% success rate in the 2016 elections for State House and State Senate races.
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Campaign Information | Primary Result | General Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | Senator Larry Martin (R) | Website | Runoff-Lost | ||
| District 4 | Senator Mike Gambrell (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 5 | John B. White (R) | Website | Lost | ||
| District 6 | William Timmons (R) | Website | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| District 7 | Senator Karl Allen (D) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 11 | Senator Glenn Reese (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 12 | Scott Talley (R) | Website | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| District 10 | Senator Floyd Nicholson (D) | N/A | N/A | Won | |
| District 15 | Senator Wes Hayes (R) | Website | Lost | ||
| District 17 | Mike Fanning (D) | Website | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| District 19 | Senator John Scott (D) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 20 | Senator John Courson (R) | N/A | N/A | Won | |
| District 21 | Senator Darrell Jackson (D) | N/A | Won | Won | |
| District 22 | Rep. Mia McLeod (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 23 | Senator Katrina Shealy (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 26 | Senator Nikki Setzler (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 25 | Senator Shane Massey (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 31 | Senator Hugh Leatherman (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 34 | Reese Boyd (R) | Website | Runoff-Lost | ||
| District 36 | Senator Kevin Johnson (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 37 | Senator Larry Grooms (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 42 | Senator Marlon Kimpson (D) | Website | Won | Won |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Campaign Information | Primary Result | General Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 3 | Representative Gary Clary (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 4 | Representative Davey Hiott (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 5 | Representative Neal Collins (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 13 | Representative Anne Parks (D) | N/A | Won | Won | |
| District 22 | Jason Elliott (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 25 | Representative Leola Robinson-Simpson (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 38 | Representative Doug Brannon (R) | Website | Lost | ||
| District 39 | Representative Ralph Kennedy (R) | Website | Lost | ||
| District 39 | Cal Forest (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 47 | Representative Tommy Pope (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 50 | Will Wheeler (D) | Website | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| District 54 | Representative Patricia Henegan (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 69 | Representative Rick Quinn (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 71 | Representative Nathan Ballentine (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 79 | Monica Elkins (D) | Website | Runoff-Lost | ||
| District 79 | Ivory Thigpen (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 81 | Chris Austin (R) | Website | Lost | ||
| District 85 | Representative Chip Huggins (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 88 | Representative Mac Toole (R) | N/A | Won | Won | |
| District 89 | Micah Caskey (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 90 | Representative Justin Bamberg (D) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 96 | Representative Kit Spires (R) | N/A | Won | Won | |
| District 110 | William Cogswell (R) | Website | Runoff-Won | Won | |
| District 112 | Representative Mike Sottile (R) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 116 | Representative Robert Brown (D) | Website | Won | Won | |
| District 118 | Representative Bill Herbkersman (R) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 119 | Representative Leon Stavrinakis (D) | Website | N/A | Won | |
| District 121 | Grahame Holmes (D) | N/A | Lost | ||
| District 124 | Representative Shannon Erickson (R) | Website | N/A | Won |
2014 Endorsements
| Endorsed Candidate | Link | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|
| Vincent Sheheen – D | Website | (Endorsed by The State) |
| Endorsed Candidate | Link |
|---|---|
| Hugh Weathers – R | Website |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Link | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 59 | Terry Alexander (D) | ||
| District 24 | Bruce Bannister (R) | Website | |
| District 78 | Beth Bernstein (D) | Website | |
| District 116 | Robert Brown (D) | Website | (Endorsed by the Post and Courier) |
| District 17 | Mike Burns (R) | ||
| District 3 | Gary Clary (R) | Website | |
| District 5 | Neal Collins (R) | Website | |
| District 41 | Rep. MaryGail Douglas (D) | ||
| District 104 | Greg Duckworth (R) | Website | |
| District 21 | Rep. Phyllis Henderson (R) | Website | |
| District 4 | Rep. Davey Hiott (R) | Website | |
| District 11 | Tombo Hite (D) | Website | |
| District 94 | Rep. Jenny Horne (R) | Website | |
| District 61 | Roger Kirby (D) | ||
| District 75 | Joe McCulloch (D) | Website | (Endorsed by The State) |
| District 79 | Rep. Mia McLeod (D) | Website | |
| District 40 | Rep. Walton McLeod (D) | ||
| District 108 | Vida Miller (D) | Website | (Endorsed by the Post and Courier) |
| District 25 | Rep. Leola Robinson-Simpson (D) | Website | |
| District 96 | Rep. Kit Spires (R) | ||
| District 119 | Rep. Leon Stavrinakis (D) | Website | (Endorsed by the Post and Courier) |
| District 33 | Rep. Eddie Tallon (R) | Website |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Link | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 42 Special Election | Marlon Kimpson (D/Charleston) | Website | Win |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Link | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | Larry Martin (R/Pickens) | Win | |
| District 4 | Sen. Billy O’Dell (R/Anderson) | Win | |
| District 6 | Tommie Reece (Petition/Greenville) | Loss | |
| District 7 | Karl Allen (D/Greenville) | Website | Win |
| District 10 | Sen. Floyd Nicholson (D/Greenwood) | Win | |
| District 11 | Sen. Glenn Reese (D/Spartanburg) | Website | Win |
| District 15 | Sen. Wes Hayes (R/York) | Website | Win |
| District 17 | Sen Creighton Coleman(D/Fairfield) | Website | Win |
| District 18 | Sen. Ronnie Cromer (R/Newberry) | Win | |
| District 20 | Sen. John Courson (R/Richland) | Win | |
| District 26 | Sen. Nikki Setzler (D/Lexington) | Win | |
| District 28 | Greg Hembree (R/Horry) | Win | |
| District 32 | Sen. Yancey McGill (D/Clarendon) | Win | |
| District 35 | Thomas McElveen (D/Sumter) | Website | Win |
| District 36 | Rep. Kevin Johnson (D/Clarendon) | Win | |
| District 41 | Paul Tinkler (D/Charleston) | Loss |
| District | Endorsed Candidate | Link | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 4 | Rep. Davey Hiott (R/Pickens) | Win | |
| District 8 | Ted Luckadoo (P/Anderson) | Loss | |
| District 14 | Rep. Mike Pitts (R/Laurens) | Win | |
| District 23 | Rep. Chandra Dillard (D/Greenville) | Website | Win |
| District 34 | Rep. Mike Forrester (R/Spartanburg) | Win | |
| District 36 | Rep. Rita Allison (R/Spartanburg) | Win | |
| District 39 | Rep. Ralph Kennedy (R/Lexington) | Win | |
| District 44 | Mandy Powers Norrell (D/Lancaster) | Website | Win |
| District 52 | Rep. Laurie Funderburk (D/Kershaw) | Website | Win |
| District 62 | Rep. Robert Williams (D/Darlington) | Win | |
| District 78 | Rep. Joan Brady (R/Richland) | Loss | |
| District 90 | Rep. Bakari Sellers (D/Bamberg) | Win | |
| District 103 | Rep. Carl Anderson (D/Georgetown) | Win | |
| District 110 | Rep. Chip Limehouse (R/Charleston) | Win | |
| District 120 | Weston Newton (R/Beaufort) | Win |
