South Carolina State House

The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections.

Unlike many legislatures, seating on the floor is not divided by party, but is arranged by county delegation – a legacy of the original apportionment of the chamber. Until 1964, each of South Carolina's counties was a legislative district, with the number of representatives determined by the county's population. It meets from the second week of January into May.

History

In Colonial times, there was a Commons House of Assembly.^[1]

Qualifications and terms

Representatives are considered part-time citizen legislators who serve two-year terms. Representatives are elected at-large by their district, and there are no term limits.^[2] Representatives must be 21 years of age before they are eligible to become a representative.^[3]

Composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total

	Republican	Democratic		Vacant
Beginning of 2023-25 Session^[a]	88	36	124	0
Expected voting share	71%	29%

Leadership

South Carolina House of Representatives officers
Position	Name	Party
Speaker	Murrell Smith	Republican
Majority Leader	Davey Hiott	Republican

Current members

District	Representative^[4]	Party	Residence
1	Bill Whitmire	Rep	Walhalla
2	Bill Sandifer III	Rep	Seneca
3	Jerry Carter	Rep	Clemson
4	Davey Hiott	Rep	Pickens
5	Neal Collins	Rep	Easley
6	April Cromer	Rep	Anderson
7	Jay West	Rep	Belton
8	Don Chapman	Rep	Townville
9	Anne Thayer	Rep	Anderson
10	Thomas Beach	Rep	Piedmont
11	Craig A. Gagnon	Rep	Abbeville
12	Daniel Gibson	Rep	Greenwood
13	John R. McCravy III	Rep	Greenwood
14	Stewart Jones	Rep	Laurens
15	JA Moore	Dem	North Charleston
16	Mark N. Willis	Rep	Fountain Inn
17	Mike Burns	Rep	Tigerville
18	Alan Morgan	Rep	Greer
19	Patrick Haddon	Rep	Greenville
20	Adam Morgan	Rep	Taylors
21	Bobby Cox	Rep	Greer
22	Jason Elliott	Rep	Greenville
23	Chandra Dillard	Dem	Greenville
24	Bruce W. Bannister	Rep	Greenville
25	Wendell K. Jones	Dem	Piedmont
26	Raye Felder	Rep	Fort Mill
27	David Vaughan	Rep	Simpsonville
28	Ashley Trantham	Rep	Pelzer
29	Dennis Moss	Rep	Gaffney
30	Brian Lawson	Rep	Chesnee
31	Rosalyn Henderson-Myers	Dem	Spartanburg
32	Max Hyde	Rep	Spartanburg
33	Travis Moore	Rep	Roebuck
34	Roger Nutt	Rep	Moore
35	Bill Chumley	Rep	Reidville
36	Rob Harris	Rep	Wellford
37	Steven Wayne Long	Rep	Boiling Springs
38	Josiah Magnuson	Rep	Campobello
39	Cal Forrest	Rep	Monetta
40	Joe White	Rep	Prosperity
41	Annie McDaniel	Dem	Winnsboro
42	Doug Gilliam	Rep	Buffalo
43	Randy Ligon	Rep	Rock Hill
44	Mike Neese	Rep	Indian Land
45	Brandon Michael Newton	Rep	Lancaster
46	Heath Sessions	Rep	Rock Hill
47	Tommy Pope	Rep	York
48	Brandon Guffey	Rep	Rock Hill
49	John Richard C. King	Dem	Rock Hill
50	Will Wheeler	Dem	Bishopville
51	J. David Weeks	Dem	Sumter
52	Ben Connell	Rep	Lugoff
53	Richie Yow	Rep	Chesterfield
54	Pat Henegan	Dem	Bennettsville
55	Jackie E. Hayes	Dem	Dillon
56	Tim McGinnis	Rep	Myrtle Beach
57	Lucas Atkinson	Dem	Marion
58	Jeff Johnson	Rep	Conway
59	Terry Alexander	Dem	Florence
60	Phillip Lowe	Rep	Florence
61	Carla Schuessler	Rep	Myrtle Beach
62	Robert Q. Williams	Dem	Darlington
63	Jay Jordan	Rep	Florence
64	Fawn M. Pedalino	Rep	Turberville
65	Cody Mitchell	Rep	Hartsville
66	David L. O'Neal	Rep	Tega Cay
67	G. Murrell Smith Jr.	Rep	Sumter
68	Heather Ammons Crawford	Rep	Myrtle Beach
69	Chris Wooten	Rep	Lexington
70	Jermaine Johnson	Dem	Hopkins
71	Nathan Ballentine	Rep	Chapin
72	Seth Rose	Dem	Columbia
73	Christopher R. Hart	Dem	Columbia
74	Todd Rutherford	Dem	Columbia
75	Heather Bauer	Dem	Columbia
76	Leon Howard	Dem	Columbia
77	Kambrell Garvin	Dem	Columbia
78	Beth Bernstein	Dem	Columbia
79	Ivory Torrey Thigpen	Dem	Columbia
80	Katherine D. Landing	Rep	Mount Pleasant
81	Bart T. Blackwell	Rep	Aiken
82	Bill Clyburn	Dem	Aiken
83	Bill Hixon	Rep	North Augusta
84	Melissa Lackey Oremus	Rep	Aiken County
85	Jay Kilmartin	Rep	Columbia
86	Bill Taylor	Rep	Aiken
87	Paula Rawl Calhoon	Rep	Lexington
88	RJ May	Rep	Lexington
89	Micah Caskey	Rep	West Columbia
90	Justin Bamberg	Dem	Smoaks
91	Lonnie Hosey	Dem	Barnwell
92	Brandon Cox	Rep	Goose Creek
93	Russell Ott	Dem	St. Matthews
94	Gil Gatch	Rep	Summerville
95	Gilda Cobb-Hunter	Dem	Orangeburg
96	Ryan McCabe	Rep	Pelion
97	Robby Robbins	Rep	St. George
98	Chris Murphy	Rep	North Charleston
99	Marvin Smith	Rep	Charleston
100	Sylleste Davis	Rep	Moncks Corner
101	Roger K. Kirby	Dem	Lake City
102	Joseph H. Jefferson	Dem	Pineville
103	Carl Anderson	Dem	Georgetown
104	William Bailey	Rep	Little River
105	Kevin Hardee	Rep	Loris
106	Val Guest Jr.	Rep	Myrtle Beach
107	Case Brittain	Rep	Myrtle Beach
108	Lee Hewitt	Rep	Murrells Inlet
109	Tiffany Spann-Wilder	Dem	North Charleston
110	Tom Hartnett Jr.	Rep	Mount Pleasant
111	Wendell Gilliard	Dem	Charleston
112	Joe Bustos	Rep	Mount Pleasant
113	Marvin R. Pendarvis	Dem	North Charleston
114	Gary Brewer	Rep	Charleston
115	Spencer Wetmore	Dem	Folly Beach
116	Matt Leber	Rep	Johns Island
117	Jordan S. Pace	Rep	Goose Creek
118	Bill Herbkersman	Rep	Bluffton
119	Leon Stavrinakis	Dem	Charleston
120	Weston J. Newton	Rep	Bluffton
121	Michael F. Rivers Sr.	Dem	St. Helena Island
122	Bill Hager	Rep	Hampton
123	Jeff Bradley	Rep	Hilton Head Island
124	Shannon Erickson	Rep	Beaufort

Standing Committees

Committee		Chair	^[5]
	Subcommittee	Chair	^[5]

Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs		Bill Hixon (R-83)
	Agriculture	Bill Chumley (R-35)
	Environmental Affairs	Mike Burns (R-17)
	Wildlife	Cal Forrest (R-39)

Education and Public Works		Shannon Erickson (R-124)
	K-12	Jeff Bradley (R-123)
	Higher Education	Tim McGinnis (R-56)
	Early Childhood	Stewart Jones (R-14)
	Public Safety	Paula Rawl Calhoon (R-87)
	Transportation	Adam Morgan (R-20)
	Motor Vehicles	Doug Gilliam (R-14)

Ethics		Jay Jordan (R-63)

Interstate Cooperation		Mark N. Willis (R-16)

Invitations and Memorial Resolutions		Dennis Moss (R-29)

Judiciary		Weston J. Newton (R-45)
	Constitutional Laws	Jay Jordan (R-63)
	Criminal Laws	Jeff Johnson (R-58)
	General Laws	Jason Elliott (R-22)
	Family, Business, and Probate Law	Beth Bernstein (D-78)
	Special Laws	John R. McCravy III (R-13)

Labor, Commerce and Industry		Bill Sandifer III (R-2)
	Banking And Consumer Affairs	Joseph H. Jefferson (D-63)
	Real Estate	Anne Thayer (R-9)
	Public Utilities	Jay West (R-7)
	Insurance	Kevin Hardee (R-105)
	Administration and Regulations	Carl Anderson (D-103)

Legislative Oversight		Jeff Johnson (R-58)
	Economic Development, Transportation, and Natural Resources	Travis Moore (R-33)
	Education and Cultural Affairs	Tim McGinnis (R-56)
	Healthcare and Regulatory	Joseph H. Jefferson (D-102)
	Law Enforcement, Criminal and Civil Justice	Chris Wooten (R-69)

Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs		Sylleste Davis (R-100)
	Medical and Health Affairs	Marvin Smith (R-99)
	Military and Veterans Affairs	Bobby Cox (R-21)
	Municipal and Public Affairs	Joe Bustos (R-112)

Operations and Management		Patrick Haddon (R-19)
	Regulations and Administration Procedures	Jeff Bradley (R-123)
	Business, Commerce, and Administration	Terry Alexander (D-59)
	Education and Public Works	Max Hyde (R-32)
	Environment and Natural Resources	Mike Burns (R-17)
	Health and Healthcare Industries	Carl Anderson (R-103)

Rules		Anne Thayer (R-9)

Ways and Means		Bruce W. Bannister (R-24)
	Constitutional Budget	Chris Murphy (R-98)
	High Education Budget	Nathan Ballentine (R-71)
	Public Education Budget	Bill Whitmire (R-1)
	Business, Commerce, and Administration Budget	Bill Herbkersman (R-118)
	Economic Development Budget	Leon Stavrinakis (D-119)
	Criminal Justice Budget	Phillip Lowe (R-60)
	Transportation and Regulatory Budget	Heather Ammons Crawford (R-68)
	Proviso Budget	Dennis Moss (R-29)

	Economic Development Legislative	Micah Caskey (R-89)
	General Government Legislative	Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-95)
	License, Fee and Other Taxes Legislative	Todd Rutherford (D-74)
	Property Tax Legislative	Lee Hewitt (R-108)
	Sales & Use Tax and Income Tax Legislative	Brandon Michael Newton (R-45)
	Revenue Policy Legislative	Bruce W. Bannister (R-24)

Party composition over time

Year	Democratic Party	Republican Party	Independent / Other	Majority
1865	0	0	124	124
1868	14	110	0	96
1870	0	100	24^(a)	76
1872	22	102	0	80
1874	0	91	33^(b)	58
1876	64	60	0	4
1878	121	3	0	118
1880	120	4	0	116
1882	118	6	0	112
1884	119	5	0	114
1886	120	4	0	116
1888	121	3	0	118
1890	115	9	0	106
1892	120	4	0	116
1894	104	3	17^(c)	87
1896– 1900	123	1	0	122
1902– 1960	124	0	0	124
1961	123	1^[6]^[7]	0	122
1962	124	0	0	124
1964	123	1	0	122
1966	107	17	0	90
1968	119	5	0	114
1970	113	11	0	102
1972	103	21	0	82
1974	108	16	0	92
1976	112	12	0	100
1978	108	16	0	92
1980	108	16	0	92
1982	105	19	0	86
1984	96	28	0	68
1986	92	32	0	60
1988	88	36	0	52
1990	80	44	0	36
1992	74	50	0	24
1994	54	70	0	16
1996	53	71	0	18
1998	57	67	0	10
2000	53	71	0	18
2002	51	73	0	22
2004	50	74	0	24
2006	51	73	0	22
2008	51	73	0	22
2010	48	76	0	28
2012	46	78	0	32
2014	46	78	0	32
2016	44	80	0	36
2018	44	80	0	35
2020^[8]	43	81	0	38
2022^[b]	36	88	0	52

^(a) 21 were members of the Union Reform Party of South Carolina and the other 3 were Independents from Anderson. Two of the Union Reform members from Chesterfield were later replaced by Republicans from a resolution passed in the House.
^(b) All 33 were members of the Conservative Party of South Carolina.
^(c) All 17 were Independent Democrats.

Notes

^ Members were sworn in December 6, 2022; session begins January 10, 2023.
^ Effective January 2023

References

^ "General Assembly".
^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - House of Representatives". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
^ "Candidate Qualifications - SCVotes". www.scvotes.org. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
^ "South Carolina Legislature Online". SC Statehouse.gon. South Carolina Government. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
^ "Standing Committees of the South Carolina House of Representatives". Retrieved February 2, 2023.
^ Republican Charles Evans Boineau Jr., who was elected in an August 1961 special election
^ "University Libraries - University Libraries - University of South Carolina". library.sc.edu. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
^ "South Carolina Election Results". New York Times. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

Additional sources

Reynolds, John S. (1969). Reconstruction in South Carolina. Negro University Press. ISBN 0-8371-1638-4.
Kalk, Bruce H. (2001). The origins of the southern strategy: two-party competition in South Carolina, 1950–1972. Lexington Books. ISBN 0-7391-0242-7.

External links

South Carolina House of Representatives
- 2007 seating chart
Project Vote Smart – State House of South Carolina links to each Representative

34°00′01″N 81°01′59″W / 34.00028°N 81.03306°W / 34.00028; -81.03306

[4] Members were sworn in December 6, 2022; session begins January 10, 2023.

[10] Effective January 2023

[1] "General Assembly".

[2] "South Carolina Legislature Online - House of Representatives". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 20 June 2018.

[3] "Candidate Qualifications - SCVotes". www.scvotes.org. Retrieved 20 June 2018.

[5] "South Carolina Legislature Online". SC Statehouse.gon. South Carolina Government. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

[6] "Standing Committees of the South Carolina House of Representatives". Retrieved February 2, 2023.

[7] Republican Charles Evans Boineau Jr., who was elected in an August 1961 special election

[8] "University Libraries - University Libraries - University of South Carolina". library.sc.edu. Retrieved 20 June 2018.

[9] "South Carolina Election Results". New York Times. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[b]

Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Speaker of the House Jay Lucas (R) Speaker pro tempore Tommy Pope (R) Majority Leader Gary Simrill (R) Minority Leader Todd Rutherford (D)
▌Bill Whitmire (R) ▌Bill Sandifer III (R) ▌Jerry Carter (R) ▌Davey Hiott (R) ▌Neal Collins (R) ▌April Cromer (R) ▌Jay West (R) ▌Don Chapman (R) ▌Anne Thayer (R) ▌Thomas Beach (R) ▌Craig A. Gagnon (R) ▌Daniel Gibson (R) ▌John R. McCravy III (R) ▌Stewart Jones (R) ▌JA Moore (D) ▌Mark N. Willis (R) ▌Mike Burns (R) ▌Alan Morgan (R) ▌Patrick Haddon (R) ▌Adam Morgan (R) ▌Bobby Cox (R) ▌Jason Elliott (R) ▌Chandra Dillard (D) ▌Bruce W. Bannister (R) ▌Wendell K. Jones (D) ▌Raye Felder (R) ▌David Vaughan (R) ▌Ashley Trantham (R) ▌Dennis Moss (R) ▌Brian Lawson (R) ▌Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (D) ▌Max Hyde Jr. (R) ▌Travis Moore (R) ▌Roger Nutt (R) ▌Bill Chumley (R) ▌Rob Harris (R) ▌Steven Wayne Long (R) ▌Josiah Magnuson (R) ▌Cal Forrest (R) ▌Joseph S. White (R) ▌Annie McDaniel (D) ▌Doug Gilliam (R) ▌Randy Ligon (R) ▌Mike Neese (R) ▌Brandon Michael Newton (R) ▌Heath Sessions (R) ▌Tommy Pope (R) ▌Brandon Guffey (R) ▌John Richard C. King (D) ▌Will Wheeler (D) ▌J. David Weeks (D) ▌Ben Connell (R) ▌Richie Yow (R) ▌Pat Henegan (D) ▌Jackie E. Hayes (D) ▌Tim McGinnis (R) ▌Lucas Atkinson (D) ▌Jeff Johnson (R) ▌Terry Alexander (D) ▌Phillip Lowe (R) ▌Carla Schuessler (R) ▌Robert Q. Williams (D) ▌Jay Jordan (R) ▌Fawn Pedalino (R) ▌Cody Mitchell (R) ▌David O'Neal (R) ▌G. Murrell Smith Jr. (R) ▌Heather Ammons Crawford (R) ▌Chris Wooten (R) ▌Jermaine Johnson (D) ▌Nathan Ballentine (R) ▌Seth Rose (D) ▌Chris R. Hart (D) ▌Todd Rutherford (D) ▌Heather Bauer (D) ▌Leon Howard (D) ▌Kambrell Garvin (D) ▌Beth Bernstein (D) ▌Ivory Torrey Thigpen (D) ▌Katherine D. Landing (R) ▌Bart T. Blackwell (R) ▌Bill Clyburn (D) ▌Bill Hixon (R) ▌Melissa Lackey Oremus (R) ▌Jay Kilmartin (R) ▌Bill Taylor (R) ▌Paula Rawl Calhoon (R) ▌RJ May (R) ▌Micah Caskey (R) ▌Justin Bamberg (D) ▌Lonnie Hosey (D) ▌Brandon Cox (R) ▌Russell Ott (D) ▌Gil Gatch (R) ▌Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D) ▌Ryan McCabe (R) ▌Robby Robbins (R) ▌Chris Murphy (R) ▌Mark Smith (R) ▌Sylleste Davis (R) ▌Roger K. Kirby (D) ▌Joseph H. Jefferson (D) ▌Carl Anderson (D) ▌William Bailey (R) ▌Kevin Hardee (R) ▌Val Guest (R) ▌Case Brittain (R) ▌Lee Hewitt (R) ▌Tiffany Spann-Wilder (D) ▌Tom Hartnett (R) ▌Wendell Gilliard (D) ▌Joe Bustos (R) ▌Marvin R. Pendarvis (D) ▌Gary Brewer (R) ▌Spencer Wetmore (D) ▌Matt Leber (R) ▌Jordan Pace (R) ▌Bill Herbkersman (R) ▌Leon Stavrinakis (D) ▌Weston J. Newton (R) ▌Michael F. Rivers Sr. (D) ▌Bill Hager (R) ▌Jeff Bradley (R) ▌Shannon Erickson (R)
▌Republican (88) ▌Democratic (36) South Carolina General Assembly South Carolina House of Representatives South Carolina Senate

Legislatures of the United States
United States Congress	United States House of Representatives United States Senate
State legislatures	Alabama (H, S) Alaska (H, S) Arizona (H, S) Arkansas (H, S) California (A, S) Colorado (H, S) Connecticut (H, S) Delaware (H, S) Florida (H, S) Georgia (H, S) Hawaii (H, S) Idaho (H, S) Illinois (H, S) Indiana (H, S) Iowa (H, S) Kansas (H, S) Kentucky (H, S) Louisiana (H, S) Maine (H, S) Maryland (H, S) Massachusetts (H, S) Michigan (H, S) Minnesota (H, S) Mississippi (H, S) Missouri (H, S) Montana (H, S) Nebraska Nevada (A, S) New Hampshire (H, S) New Jersey (GA, S) New Mexico (H, S) New York (A, S) North Carolina (H, S) North Dakota (H, S) Ohio (H, S) Oklahoma (H, S) Oregon (H, S) Pennsylvania (H, S) Rhode Island (H, S) South Carolina (H, S) South Dakota (H, S) Tennessee (H, S) Texas (H, S) Utah (H, S) Vermont (H, S) Virginia (H, S) Washington (H, S) West Virginia (H, S) Wisconsin (A, S) Wyoming (H, S)
Other legislatures	District of Columbia American Samoa (H, S) Guam Northern Mariana Islands (H, S) Puerto Rico (H, S) U.S. Virgin Islands
Legislative elections	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
List of U.S. state legislators

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	Germany Israel United States