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Republican primary voters in South Carolina dealt a severe blow last week to the establishment in the state, removing several Republican lawmakers who oppose gun rights.
South Carolina enacted a constitutional carry law earlier this year, meaning that residents do not necessarily need to obtain a permit before they practice conceal carry. Palmetto Truth Project, an initiative backed by the establishment, sent mailers to voters claiming that lawmakers in favor of constitutional carry “betrayed the NRA,” without noting that the NRA was opposed to the constitutional carry legislation even as they claimed to be defending the Second Amendment.
Yet the lawmakers who opposed constitutional carry and other conservative priorities experienced heavy losses in the Republican primary elections. State House Assistant Majority Leader Jay West won a mere 36% of the vote against Lee Gilreath, a candidate backed by the South Carolina Freedom Caucus who won 64% of the vote. State Representative Bill Sandifer narrowly lost his reelection bid to Adam Duncan after nearly three decades in the House.
South Carolina has a reputation as a conservative state but also maintains a largely liberal Republican establishment. Palmetto Gun Rights celebrated the conservative wins and said they were “proud to announce that tonight is a bloodbath for the political class in Columbia.”
“The people of South Carolina and the South Carolina Freedom Caucus proved that the lies from the South Carolina House Republican Caucus and their propaganda arm, the Palmetto Truth Project, would not prevail against true conservative grassroots power,” the group said.
Republicans who voted in favor of expanding abortion also suffered losses: State Senator Penry Gustafson won a mere 18% of the vote against Allen Blackmon, who won 82% of the vote, while State Senator Sandy Senn narrowly lost her reelection bid against Matt Leber.
State Representative Rob Harris and State Representative Josiah Magnuson, both of whom are abortion abolitionists and who championed constitutional carry, respectively defeated establishment-backed challengers Adam Crisp and Jason Shamis in their districts. Harris ultimately won 58% of the vote and Magnuson won 65% of the vote.
Palmetto Gun Rights observed that the establishment spent as much as $2 million to defeat conservative candidates, yet was soundly defeated by less well-funded campaigns.
