Why SC House primaries in York, Lancaster counties could decide who wins in November
The fiercest political fights in York and Lancaster counties this year may not happen in November at all.
Early voting began Tuesday ahead of South Carolina’s June 9 primary elections, including in contested state House races in York and Lancaster counties. While most districts heavily favor one party in November, primaries offier a window into ideological fights shaping Republican and Democratic politics in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions.
“In most of our state legislative seats, if you win the primary, you’ve won the election,” said Scott Huffmon, politics professor at Winthrop University and director of the Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research.
That dynamic is especially visible in York and Lancaster counties, where Republican incumbents are defending safely conservative seats in House Districts 44, 45 and 26, while Democrats are holding primary contests in Districts 47 and 49. Huffmon said the races reveal less about which party is likely to win in November and more about what issues and ideological priorities matter most to the voters who reliably show up in primaries.
Huffmon said challenges to Republican incumbents in safely conservative districts frequently come from candidates positioning themselves further to the right rather than from moderates.
“What is interesting in even these safe districts is what issues a Republican challenger picks to go after somebody who is already a proven conservative,” Huffmon said. “And it’s almost always a culture war issue.”
He described the dynamic as a “self-feeding cycle” in which Republicans continually reinforce conservative positions to avoid future primary threats from their right flank.
Population growth remains an important concern in the region, Huffmon said, but not necessarily the issue most likely to determine Republican primary outcomes.
“If you are seen as wishy-washy on trans issues, that’s a problem,” Huffmon said. “If you are seen as defying Trump’s agenda, that’s a problem.”
House District 26
One of the races drawing the most attention from local Republicans is House District 26, where incumbent Republican Rep. David Martin faces challenger Elizabeth Enns in the GOP primary. Democrat Jenny Desch will appear on the November ballot without a primary opponent.
York County GOP Chairman Scott Anderson said District 26 is one of the local races county Republicans are most focused on, particularly because of frustration surrounding development issues and the controversial Silfab Solar manufacturing project proposed near Fort Mill.
Anderson said Enns is popular among many local Republican activists because of her opposition to the project, which critics argue should not be built on land zoned for light industrial use near neighborhoods and schools.
Anderson criticized Martin’s campaign fundraising and accused him of being too closely aligned with establishment interests and a “liberal voting record,” at the State House.
“Addressing the corruption in Columbia is of great importance to our members,” Anderson said.
Martin defended his conservative record in Columbia in an interview with the Observer and rejected criticism from some local Republicans who have labeled him insufficiently conservative. He pointed to legislation he said he supported involving tax cuts, deregulation, law enforcement and parental rights, and said he has been one of the most outspoken legislators opposing the Silfab Solar project, including filing bills related to zoning and industrial buffer zones near schools. “I think the world of politics is a nasty game now. This is my first re-election, obviously, and it’s just sad to kind of see what politics has come to,” Martin said. “I think that’s probably the most challenging issue is trying to get rid of all the BS and actually seeing who’s been effective and who’s actually got a plan for the future and who doesn’t.”
Enns’ campaign priorities, according to her website, are lowering taxes, improving roads, fighting Silfab, judicial reform and “protecting girls’ spaces.”
House District 44
Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Neese is facing challenger Tripp McCoy in House District 44, a Lancaster County-based seat Republicans carried with about 61% of the vote in the last general election.
Democrat Katie Crosby is already set for the November ballot without a primary opponent.
The district sits in one of the fastest-growing parts of the state, where development pressures and population growth have increasingly shaped local political conversations. But Huffmon said Republican primaries in South Carolina are often driven more by ideological concerns than by traditional local government issues.
“At this moment in history, the two things that matter the most, probably in order, are fidelity to Donald Trump and stance on culture war issues,” Huffmon said.
Neese, who has represented the Lancaster County-based district since 2022, is a Republican lawmaker from the fast-growing Indian Land area who serves on the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee as well as a one focused on regulations, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. He’s a self-employed contractor and farmer. In Columbia, he backed tax-cut legislation and regulatory reform efforts.
McCoy, an Indian Land business owner making his second run for state office, has framed his campaign around economic opportunity and local engagement. According to The Lancaster News, McCoy owns Wolf’s Haircuts in Indian Land and previously ran in a Republican primary for a state Senate seat in 2024 before launching his House District 44 campaign this year.
House District 45
In House District 45, Republican incumbent Rep. Brandon Newton faces challenger Russell Brazell in a district covering parts of Lancaster and Kershaw counties. Republicans won the seat with more than 64% of the vote in the last election.
Democrat Nicole Ventour will advance directly to the general election after facing no Democratic primary opposition.
Newton, a Lancaster Republican, has represented House District 45 since 2016. He serves as the House majority whip and as a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Legislative Oversight Committee. Newton was 22 when first elected, making him the youngest member of the General Assembly at the time.
On his campaign website, Newton highlights tax relief, infrastructure investment and school choice as some of his top priorities. He says he has supported more than $1.4 billion in tax relief and advocated for expanding the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund program. Newton also points to legislation related to workforce development, fentanyl trafficking penalties and repealing South Carolina’s Certificate of Need health care law.
Brazell, a business owner from Lancaster County, is campaigning as a more aggressively conservative alternative to Newton. On his campaign website, Brazell criticizes what he calls excessive government spending in Columbia and says he supports lower taxes, strong gun rights protections, stricter immigration enforcement and opposition to “radical left-wing indoctrination” in schools. He has also emphasized road maintenance and opposition to raising the gas tax.
House District 47
On the Democratic side, House District 47 features a primary between Justin Bennett and Peter Martinez. The winner will face Republican incumbent Tommy Pope in November. Pope ran unopposed in the last general election.
York County Democratic Party Chair Nikita Jackson said local Democrats view the races through the lens of broader political frustrations, including concerns about proposed congressional redistricting changes that failed in the Senate this week that could have split Fort Mill and Rock Hill into different districts
“We’re seeing a more diverse population of people who are moving to this area in York County and they have a different perspective on what state government should look like,” Jackson told the Observer.
Jackson also said Democratic voters want state leaders to focus more directly on residents’ concerns.
“The people are wanting the state of South Carolina to hear and take care of the people,” she said.
Despite a Democratic primary, the district leans heavily Republican. Pope ran unopposed in 2024 and in 2022. In 2020, he won with 73.3% of the vote against the Democratic candidate.
House District 49
Democratic incumbent Rep. John King is facing challenger Perry Sutton in House District 49, another York County-area seat where Democrats have maintained strength. There are no Republican candidates.
Huffmon said King has built a durable local political presence over time through direct voter outreach and longstanding ties in the district.
“Very few people get out and walk their district and shake hands like he does,” Huffmon said.
While Republicans dominate much of York and Lancaster counties politically, Huffmon said heavily Democratic districts remain relatively secure because of how legislative boundaries are drawn.
“There are in fact some safe Democratic seats,” Huffmon said.
King has held the seat since 2008. He ran unopposed in 2024, and won his 2022 race with 64.8% of the vote against a Republican challenger. Sutton, a former Rock Hill city council member, is King’s first Democratic opponent in 15 years.
This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Why SC House primaries in York, Lancaster counties could decide who wins in November."
