Laurens County Election Recap: High Turnout, New Council Members, and Notable Victories
November 6, 2024
Laurens County witnessed a record-high voter turnout in the recent election, with 75.99 percent of registered voters casting their ballots. This impressive participation aligns with elevated early voting numbers seen across South Carolina and nationwide.
Lynne West, Director of Voter Registration and Elections in Laurens County, praised the efforts that contributed to a seamless voting experience. “We had a smooth process for both early voting and election day, thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers,” said West. “Their hard work made this high turnout possible and ensured the process went as smoothly as possible.”
The results bring significant changes to the Laurens County Council, where three new members were elected. Diane Anderson, who served on the council for more than three decades, lost her seat to petition candidate Arthur Lee Philson, Jr. Matthew Brownlee was elected to fill the seat vacated by Luke Rankin, who will now be serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives, while Justin Lane secured his position on the council in a decisive primary runoff against David Tribble.
The election also revealed the community’s party preferences, with straight-party voting results showing 10,944 votes for the Republican ticket and 4,330 votes for the Democratic ticket.
Unofficial Laurens County Election Results
President and Vice President
- R – Donald J. Trump and JD Vance: 21,048 votes
- D – Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz: 8,741 votes
US House of Representatives – District 3
- R – Sherri Biggs: 20,276 votes
- D – Byron Best: 7,824 votes
- Alliance – Mike Bedenbaugh: 1,024 votes
South Carolina Senate – District 9
- R – Danny Verdin: 21,283 votes
- D – C. Randy Driggers: 7,954 votes
South Carolina House of Representatives
- District 11: R – Craig Gagnon, 1,105 votes (Write-in: 8)
- District 13: R – John McCravy, 719 votes (D – Bill Kimler: 91, Write-in: 2)
- District 14: R – Luke Rankin, 13,861 votes (Write-in: 450)
- District 16: R – Mark Willis, 3,636 votes (Write-in: 36)
- District 42: R – Doug Gilliam, 3,043 votes (D – David Gossett: 1,527, Write-in: 3)
Other Key Races
- Solicitor, Circuit 8: R – David Stumbo, 23,354 votes (Write-in: 95)
- Sheriff: R – Don Reynolds, 23,543 votes (Write-in: 430)
- Coroner: R – Patti Canupp, 23,881 votes (Write-in: 167)
- Clerk of Court: R – Michelle Simmons, 23,726 votes (Write-in: 139)
Laurens County Council
- District 2: R – Matthew Brownlee, 4,456 votes (Write-in: 23)
- District 3: D – Shirley Clark, 2,351 votes (Write-in: 90)
- District 6: Petition Candidate – Arthur Lee Philson, Jr., 1,831 votes (D – Diane Byrd Anderson: 1,487, Write-in: 13)
- District 7: R – Justin Lane, 3,203 votes (Write-in: 47)
Soil and Water Commission
- Jay Wham: 20,025 votes (Write-in: 138)
School Board Elections
Laurens County School District 55
- Seat 1: Tabitha Keitt, 1,978 votes (Write-in: 138)
- Seat 3: Heather Hall Elders, 2,061 votes (Write-in: 7)
- Seat 5: Anthony B Carpenter, 871 votes (Write-in: 20)
- Seat 7: Chip Jenkins, 1,328 votes (Write-in: 26)
Laurens County School District 56
- Seat 1: Rhonda Gary, 491 votes (Write-in: 5)
- Seat 2: Kimberly Williams Carter, 714 votes (Write-in: 23)
- Seat 3: Jim Barton, 912 votes (Write-in: 15)
- Seat 4: Sean McCarthy, 336 votes (Defeated incumbent Charles Stinson, 289 votes, Write-in: 6)
All results are unofficial and will be certified later this week.
