Editor’s Note: With so much heat rather than light in the media world today, Liberty Nation presents the following series on the crucial midterm elections that will be taking place. These elections will likely determine the course of the Trump presidency and as such should be looked at with in-depth analysis. Thus, each week LN author Graham Noble will be giving our readers a state-by-state look at the upcoming elections. This week, he covers House and Senate Races in South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
South Carolina has voted Democrat in a presidential election only one time since 1964. President Donald Trump carried the state in 2016 by a margin of 54.9% to 40.7%. South Dakota has voted Republican in all but four elections since 1892, which was the first presidential election to take place after the state was admitted to the Union. Trump won 61.5% of the state’s votes in 2016, to Hillary Clinton’s 31.7%. It was the largest margin of victory in the past five elections. Tennessee has also been a reliably Republican-voting state since the early 1950s – voting Democrat only four times since then. Trump carried Tennessee by a margin of 60.7% to 34.7% which, as in South Dakota, was the largest margin of victory for a presidential candidate in the past five elections.
South Carolina
The two Republican senators representing the Palmetto State are well-known figures in Congress. Neither Lindsey Graham nor Tim Scott will be running for re-election in the November midterms. Graham serves until 2021 and Scott until 2023.
Lyndsey Graham
South Carolina’s seven congressional districts are all represented by Republicans with the exception of the 6th district, which Democrat Jim Clyburn has represented since 1993. These are all safe seats for their respective parties, although Trey Gowdy has announced his retirement and 13 Republicans are vying for his 4th district seat. Regular primary voting will take place on June 12 and, with so many candidates, it may well go to a runoff.
South Dakota
John Thune of South Dakota and his Republican Senate colleague, Mike Rounds, will not be running this year. Thune’s term ends in 2023 and Rounds will face re-election in 2020. The state’s one at-large congressional district is currently represented by Republican Kristi Noem. Her seat will be filled by another Republican in November, as she is campaigning to be elected South Dakota’s first female Governor.
Tennessee
Bob Corker
Senator Bob Corker will not be seeking re-election in Tennessee. A frequent critic of the president, Corker is one of a long list of congressional Republicans bowing out at the beginning of next year. Marsha Blackburn, who currently represents the state’s 7th district, is running to replace him and she has Trump’s backing. She will face off against Democrat and former Governor, Phil Bredesen in November. Tennessee’s other senator, Lamar Alexander, will run for re-election in 2020. Tennessee has nine congressional districts, represented by seven Republicans and two Democrats. None of these seats are considered competitive this year.
Midterm Election Watch predicts Republicans will retain Corker’s Senate seat in Tennessee and that all House seats in these three states will be retained by their respective parties.
Join us next week as our series focuses on House and Senate Races in Texas and Utah.
