2001 South Carolina's 2nd congressional district special election
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Elections in South Carolina |
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The 2001 South Carolina 2nd congressional district special election was held on December 18, 2001 to select a
Republican primary
The South Carolina Republican Party held their primary on October 30, 2001. Wilson won 75 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff election.
Republican Primary | ||
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Candidate | Votes | % |
Joe Wilson
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34,646 | 75.5 |
Joe Grimaud | 6,784 | 14.8 |
Stew Butler | 1,881 | 4.1 |
Richard Chalk | 1,455 | 3.2 |
Clyde T. Cobb | 1,115 | 2.4 |
General election campaign
The Republican Party was on the rise in South Carolina and there was a great deal of enthusiasm among its voters. Additionally, the 2nd had long been a Republican stronghold; it had been in GOP hands without interruption since a 1965 special election. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party was clearly on the decline and was expected to fare poorly in the upcoming 2002 elections. Therefore, it was generally understood that Wilson had clinched a seat in Congress with his primary victory.
As expected, Wilson scored a decisive victory in the general election and he was sworn into Congress the very next day.
Election results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Republican | Joe Wilson
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40,355 | 73.1 | +16.1 | |
Democratic | Brent Weaver | 14,034 | 25.4 | -15.4 | |
Libertarian | Warren Eilertson | 420 | 0.8 | -0.5 | |
Constitution | Steve LeFemine | 404 | 0.7 | +0.7 | |
No party | Write-Ins | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 26,321 | 47.7 | +31.5 | ||
Turnout | 55,214 | ||||
Republican hold |
See also
External links