Recount likely in SC Senate District 17 race

INDIAN LAND, S.C. — A Senate race in South Carolina is down to the wire, about 32 votes.

Republican Everett Stubbs is beating incumbent Mike Fanning, D-District 17, by such a small margin there will likely be a recount.

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It’s a seat that Senate Republicans are trying to flip which would give them more power as a supermajority.

“We knew it was going to be tight,” said Stubbs. “We’re proud of the fact that we’re in contention for this thing because we really shouldn’t be.”

Stubbs has never held public office before but as of Thursday, he’s leading Fanning in the race for the state’s 17th District Senate seat.

Unofficial results from Election Day showed Stubbs has 27,914 votes. Fanning has 27,882.

“We anticipated it was going to be a tight race and, truthfully, this district leans Democratic,” Stubbs said. “So, it was going to be up to me to maybe sway some people and get a lot more of that middle ground. Ultimately, that’s what we’ve done.”

Fanning beat Republicans to win the 17th District seat in 2016 and 2020.

Data shows Republicans in Lancaster and Chester counties helped Stubbs to pull ahead this time.

“It’s always interesting when you see a race this hyper-close and it shows the evolution of the district,” said political scientist Scott Huffman, with Winthrop University.

The district has grown more red Republicans have hoped to win that seat in the district.

“Republicans were already in an overwhelming majority and they were hoping to flip as many as four, but felt they’d definitely flip one or two and Mike Fanning’s was one they were specifically targeting,” Huffman said.

This race isn’t over just yet. Provisional ballots must be counted which will happen Friday

The state will order a recount if the difference in this race is still 1% or less, which would happen next week.

Fanning declined to comment on this race until it’s been resolved.