South Carolina's 2nd congressional district

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district
South Carolina's 2nd congressional district
	Lua error: Coordinates must be specified on Wikidata or in \|coord=. Lua error: Coordinates must be specified on Wikidata or in \|coord=. Interactive map of district boundaries. Points indicate the major cities of Aiken, Barnwell, Columbia, Lexington, North Augusta, and West Columbia.; Distribution count is only a rough estimate.
Representative
	Joe Wilson; R–Springdale
Distribution	55% urban; 45% rural;
Population (2020)	731,203
Median household; income	$60,781
Ethnicity	61.1% White; 27.2% Black; 7.0% Hispanic; 3.0% Asian; 2.3% Native American; 0.2% Pacific Islander Americans; 0.1% other;
Cook PVI	R+9
Created	1789

The 2nd congressional district of South Carolina is in central and southwestern South Carolina. The district spans from Columbia to the South Carolina side of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.

From 1993 through 2012, it included all of Lexington, Jasper, Hampton, Allendale and Barnwell counties; most of Richland and Beaufort counties and parts of Aiken, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

It was made more compact in the 2010 round of redistricting, and now comprises all of Lexington, Aiken and Barnwell counties, most of Richland County, and part of Orangeburg County. Besides Columbia (60 percent of which is in the district), other major cities in the district include Aiken and North Augusta.

The district's current configuration dates from 1933, following South Carolina losing a seat in apportionment as a result of the 1930 Census showing that the state's population had declined. Before that time, much of its territory had been within the 6th district.

As a Columbia-based district from 1933 to the early 1990s, it was a fairly compact district in the central part of the state, which was largely coextensive with the Columbia metropolitan area. As a result of the 1990 census, the state legislature was required to draw a black-majority district. In a deal between Republicans and Democrats, the 6th district, previously located in the northeastern portion of the state, was redefined to incorporate most of the old 2nd's black residents. To make up for the loss in population, the 2nd was pushed as far west as the fringes of the Augusta suburbs and as far south as Beaufort/Hilton Head. As of 2019, the district was more than 69% white.^[4]

Since 1965 the 2nd district has been held by the Republican Party, made up of white conservatives in the late 20th-century realignment of political parties in the South. In the decades after the Civil War and before disenfranchisement in 1895 under the new state constitution, members of the Republican Party in South Carolina and the South were mostly African Americans, including many freedmen enfranchised due to Republican support for amendments for emancipation, citizenship and the franchise. After white Democrats regained control of state governments across the South, in the late 19th century, they passed new constitutions from 1890 to 1908 to disenfranchise blacks, excluding them totally from the political process. The Republican Party was crippled in the region and nearly comatose.

As a result of the Civil Rights Movement, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provided for federal enforcement of blacks' constitutional rights. That year, the 2nd district's second-term Democratic congressman, Albert Watson, resigned, then ran as a Republican in the ensuing special election and won, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina in the House since Reconstruction.

Watson gave up the seat to run for governor in 1970. His successor, state senator Floyd Spence, held the seat for more than 30 years. He was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 1995 to 2001, and died a few months after being elected to a 16th term. He was succeeded in a special election by one of his former aides, state senator Joe Wilson.

Wilson has since been reelected ten times. In the most recent election, held on November 3, 2020, Wilson earned almost 55.7% of the vote against Democrat Adair Boroughs and Constitution Party candidate Kathleen Wright.

Static map of 2013-23 congressional district

Counties

Counties in the 2023-2033 district map.

Election results from presidential races

Year	Office	Result
2000	President	Bush 58 - 39%
2004	President	Bush 60 - 39%
2008	President	McCain 60 - 39%
2012	President	Romney 59 - 39%
2016	President	Trump 56 - 39%
2020	President	Trump 56 - 44%

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
Aedanus Burke	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791	1st	Elected in 1788. Retired.	1789–1793 "Beaufort-Orangeburg district" South Carolina congressional districts, 1789–1793 1st district, Charleston 2nd district, Beaufort-Orangeburg 3rd district, Georgetown-Cheraw 4th district, Camden 5th district, Ninety-Six
Robert Barnwell	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Elected in 1790. Retired.
John Hunter	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795	3rd	Elected in 1793. Redistricted to the 5th district and lost re-election.	1793–1797 "Beaufort-Orangeburg district" (Map unknown)
Wade Hampton	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797	4th	Elected January 19–20, 1795 to finish the term of member-elect Robert Barnwell, who had declined to serve. Retired.	1793–1797 "Beaufort-Orangeburg district" (Map unknown)
John Rutledge Jr.	Federalist	March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803	5th 6th 7th	Elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Lost re-election.	1797–1803 "Beaufort district" 1796 election results by district
William Butler	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1813	8th 9th 10th 11th 12th	Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Retired.	1803–1813 "Beaufort and Edgefield district"
William Lowndes	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – May 8, 1822	13th 14th 15th 16th 17th	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Resigned.	1813–1833 "Beaufort district"
Vacant		May 8, 1822 – December 13, 1822	17th
James Hamilton Jr.	Democratic-Republican^[a]	December 13, 1822 – March 3, 1825	17th 18th 19th 20th	Elected to finish Lowndes's term. Re-elected in 1823. Re-elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Retired.
James Hamilton Jr.	Jackson	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829	17th 18th 19th 20th
Robert W. Barnwell	Jackson	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831	21st 22nd	Elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1830. Retired.
Robert W. Barnwell	Nullifier	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd	Elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1830. Retired.
William J. Grayson	Nullifier	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837	23rd 24th	Elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1834. Lost re-election.	1833–1843 [data unknown/missing]
Robert Rhett	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1843	25th 26th 27th	Elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Redistricted to the 7th district.	1833–1843 [data unknown/missing]
Richard F. Simpson	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849	28th 29th 30th	Elected in 1843. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Retired.	1843–1853 [data unknown/missing]
James L. Orr	Democratic	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853	31st 32nd	Elected in 1848. Re-elected in 1850. Redistricted to the 5th district.	1843–1853 [data unknown/missing]
William Aiken Jr.	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857	33rd 34th	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1853. Re-elected in 1854. Retired.	1853–1860 [data unknown/missing]
William P. Miles	Democratic	March 4, 1857 – December 24, 1860	35th 36th	Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860 but retired due to Civil War.	1853–1860 [data unknown/missing]
Inactive		December 24, 1860 – July 20, 1868	36th 37th 38th 39th 40th	Civil War and Reconstruction
Christopher C. Bowen	Republican	July 20, 1868 – March 3, 1871	40th 41st	Elected to finish the short term. Also elected to the next term. Lost re-election.	1868–1873 [data unknown/missing]
Robert C. De Large	Republican	March 4, 1871 – January 24, 1873	42nd	Elected in 1870. Seat declared vacant.
Vacant		January 24, 1873 – March 3, 1873	42nd
Alonzo J. Ransier	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	43rd	Elected in 1872. Retired.	1873–1883 [data unknown/missing]
Edmund W.M. Mackey	Independent Republican	March 4, 1875 – July 19, 1876	44th	Elected in 1874. Seat declared vacant.
Vacant		July 19, 1876 – November 7, 1876
Charles W. Buttz	Republican	November 7, 1876 – March 3, 1877		Elected to finish Mackey's term. Retired.
Richard H. Cain	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879	45th	Elected in 1876. Retired.
Michael P. O'Connor	Democratic	March 4, 1879 – April 26, 1881	46th 47th	Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Died pending an election contest.
Vacant		April 26, 1881 – June 9, 1881	47th
Samuel Dibble	Democratic	June 9, 1881 – May 31, 1882		Elected to finish O'Connor's term. Lost the election contest.
Edmund W.M. Mackey	Republican	May 31, 1882 – March 3, 1883		Won election contest. Redistricted to the 7th district.
George D. Tillman	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1893	48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd	Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Lost renomination.	1883–1893 [data unknown/missing]
W. Jasper Talbert	Democratic	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903	53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th	Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Retired to run for Governor of South Carolina.	1893–1903 [data unknown/missing]
George W. Croft	Democratic	March 4, 1903 – March 10, 1904	58th	Elected in 1902. Died.	1903–1913 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		March 10, 1904 – May 17, 1904
Theodore G. Croft	Democratic	May 17, 1904 – March 3, 1905		Elected to finish his father's term. Retired.
James O'H. Patterson	Democratic	March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1911	59th 60th 61st	Elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Retired.
James F. Byrnes	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1925	62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th	Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
James F. Byrnes	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1925	62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th		1913–1933 Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Edgefield, Hampton, Jasper, and Saluda Counties^[5]
Butler B. Hare	Democratic	March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1933	69th 70th 71st 72nd	Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Retired.
Hampton Fulmer	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – October 19, 1944	73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Died.	1933–1943 [data unknown/missing]
Hampton Fulmer	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – October 19, 1944	73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th		1943–1953 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		October 19, 1944 – November 7, 1944	78th
Willa L. Fulmer	Democratic	November 7, 1944 – January 3, 1945	78th	Elected to finish her husband's term. Retired.
John J. Riley	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1949	79th 80th	Elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Lost renomination.
Hugo S. Sims Jr.	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951	81st	Elected in 1948. Lost renomination.
John J. Riley	Democratic	January 3, 1951 – January 1, 1962	82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th	Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Died.
John J. Riley	Democratic	January 3, 1951 – January 1, 1962	82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th		1953–1963 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		January 1, 1962 – April 10, 1962	87th
Corinne Boyd Riley	Democratic	April 10, 1962 – January 3, 1963	87th	Elected to finish her husband's term. Retired.
Albert Watson	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – February 1, 1965	88th 89th	Elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Resigned to contest special election as a Republican.	1963–1973 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		February 1, 1965 – June 15, 1965	89th
Albert Watson	Republican	June 15, 1965 – January 3, 1971	89th 90th 91st	Re-elected to finish his term as a Republican. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Retired to run for governor.
Floyd Spence	Republican	January 3, 1971 – August 16, 2001	92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th	Elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Died.
					1973–1983: [data unknown/missing]
					1983–1993: [data unknown/missing]
					1993–2003 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		August 16, 2001 – December 18, 2001	107th
Joe Wilson	Republican	December 18, 2001 – present	107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th	Elected to finish Spence's term. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020.
					2003–2013^[6]
					2013–2023

Recent election results

2012

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district, 2012^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Wilson (incumbent)	196,116	96.3
	Write-in		7,602	3.7
Total votes			203,718	100.0
	Republican hold

2014

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district, 2014^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Wilson (incumbent)	121,649	62.5
	Democratic	Phil Black	68,719	35.3
	Labor	Harold Geddings III	4,158	2.1
	Write-in		282	0.1
Total votes			194,808	100.0
	Republican hold

2016

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district, 2016 ^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Wilson (incumbent)	183,746	60.2
	Democratic	Arik Bjorn	109,452	35.9
	American	Eddie McCain	11,444	3.8
	Write-in		354	0.1
Total votes			304,996	100.0
	Republican hold

2018

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district, 2018^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Wilson (incumbent)	144,642	56.2
	Democratic	Sean Carrigan	109,199	42.5
	American	Sonny Narang	3,111	1.2
	Write-in		187	0.1
Total votes			257,139	100.0
	Republican hold

2020

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district, 2020^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Wilson (incumbent)	202,715	55.7
	Democratic	Adair Boroughs	155,118	42.6
	Constitution	Kathleen Wright	6,163	1.7
	Write-in		219	0.1
Total votes			364,215	100.0
	Republican hold

Notes

^ Supported the Jackson faction in the 1824 United States presidential election.

References

^ "SC 2022 Congressional". davesredistricting.org. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
^ "My Congressional District".
^ "Enacted Maps and 2022 Ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
^ "My Congressional District".
^ "South Carolina". Official congressional directory. p. 104. hdl:2027/uc1.l0075858456.
^ "The national atlas". nationalatlas.gov. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
^ "Election Statistics - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
^ "South Carolina Election Commission Official Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
^ "2016 Statewide General Election official results". South Carolina State Election Commission. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
^ Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
^ "2020 Statewide General Election Night Reporting - Results". South Carolina Election Commission. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
Political Graveyard database of South Carolina congressmen

Coordinates: 33°26′N 81°18′W / 33.43°N 81.30°W / 33.43; -81.30

[Jackson-5] Supported the Jackson faction in the 1824 United States presidential election.

[pop-1] "SC 2022 Congressional". davesredistricting.org. Retrieved June 20, 2022.

[2] "My Congressional District".

[Cook-3] "Enacted Maps and 2022 Ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 17, 2021.

[4] "My Congressional District".

[6] "South Carolina". Official congressional directory. p. 104. hdl:2027/uc1.l0075858456.

[7] "The national atlas". nationalatlas.gov. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.

[CHofR-8] "Election Statistics - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 23, 2013.

[Generalelection-9] "South Carolina Election Commission Official Results". West Virginia Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2015.

[General-10] "2016 Statewide General Election official results". South Carolina State Election Commission. Retrieved December 5, 2016.

[clerk2018-11] Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.

[scvote-results-12] "2020 Statewide General Election Night Reporting - Results". South Carolina Election Commission. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

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