‘It is an honor’: SC’s Luke Rankin wins District 33 in Horry County for state senate
State Senator Luke Rankin has represented Horry County in the South Carolina State Senate for more than 30 years.
At 8:48 p.m. on Tuesday night the Associated Press called the race, with Rankin as the winner.
Uncertified results from Election Day are showing that Rankin has once again secured another term.
According to tallies from the polls thus far, Rankin secured the win against his Democrat challenger Pete John Bember. However, those voted still need to be certified.
According to unofficial results provided by the South Carolina Election Commission with 35 out of 35 Horry County precincts reporting at 12:47 a.m. on Wednesday, Rankin won 68.27%, or 33,178 votes, and Pete John Bember won 31.5%, or 15,309 votes.
Data from the election commission early on Wednesday morning showed that .22%, or 109 votes were for write-in candidates.
“Thank you to all who voted and for your continued support and trust,” Rankin wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning following the election. “It is an honor to serve you in the State Senate, and I’m excited to continue delivering meaningful results for our community.”
Rankin did not immediately return The Sun News’s request for comment on election night.
After a closely contested primary race in June, Rankin was able to secure the Republican Party ticket for this November race.
He serves as the chairman for the senate’s Judiciary Committee, and also serves on the Banking and Insurance Committee, the Education Committee, the Ethics Committee and the Transportation Committee.
Records from the South Carolina Legislature show that Rankin was the primary sponsor of 14 bills during its last session. Four of them passed, and 10 failed, the voting records said.
“It takes team work and a common-sense approach to make meaningful progress and reform in Government to achieve that brighter future,” Rankin said in a statement on his campaign’s website. “With your help, I am working every day to achieve improvements for our citizens and their quality of life.”
Rankin holds a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of South Carolina, and currently resides in Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 8:58 PM.
