Democrat Keishan Scott has defeated his Republican rival Bill Oden in a landslide win for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Scott, who is 24 and a member of Bishopville City Council, secured over 70 percent of the more than 3,600 votes cast in Tuesday’s special election.
Oden, a former chair of Sumter County GOP, took just over 29 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the state’s election commission.
AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File/Keishan Scott
Why It Matters
While Scott’s victory doesn’t change the current Republican supermajority in the South Carolina’s statehouse, it marks the latest victory for the Democratic Party, who will now have 36 seats in the chamber.
The party has faced less than impressive polling since President Donald Trump won against Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
What To Know
In Scott’s victory speech, he said: “This victory is definitely not mine alone. It belongs to all the people of this District 50 that got out to exercise your right to vote.
“I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your vote of confidence into me.”
Scott added: “Every day that I go to the statehouse that I will carry the needs of the people.”
Scott is the youngest person elected to the statehouse since Representative Brandon Newton, a Lancaster Republican, who won at the age of 22 in 2016.
Oden, who recently finished leading the Sumter County Republican Party for four years, acknowledged in a text to the Daily Gazette that he “lost tonight.”
“God has something better in store for me,” he said.
In an endorsement video posted to Scott’s Facebook, U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn underscored the importance of Tuesday’s election, calling it a must-win for Democrats.
“Will be the beginning of a Democratic comeback here in South Carolina,” Clyburn said. “Irrespective of where you live, how old you may be, whatever gender you may be, this is about the future of Democrats in South Carolina.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly won the South Carolina district against Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election. However, Trump won the state overall by 18 points, and on a local level, the Republicans have had a supermajority in the statehouse since 2022.
The Democratic National Committee called Scott’s win an extension of the party’s “overperformance streak,” while South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said the win showed the power of strong grassroots campaigning and helped set the tone for the 2026 elections.
It comes after polling has shown that the Democrats are more unpopular than ever after their loss to Trump in 2024.
According to an NBC News poll from March 7-11, 55 percent of respondents said they had a negative view of the Democratic Party, while 27 percent said they had a positive perception. That is the lowest level recorded since NBC News began asking the question in 1990. Recent polls have also shown support for the party declining among middle class, young and Black voters, who have traditionally made up a significant part of the Democrats’ base.
But recent election results suggest the Democrats may be regaining some momentum.
The Democrats previously defeated the GOP in a special election for an Iowa State House seat in April, in what the Democratic Party hailed as a “clear rebuke of Trump.”
Meanwhile, also in April, voters in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race delivered a major blow to Trump and Elon Musk, who had poured millions into backing the Republican candidate.
The month before, the party flipped a Pennsylvania Senate district that Trump won by a wide margin.
Scott, who was first elected to city council in 2023, will assume the seat previously held by Representative Will Wheeler, a Bishopville Democrat who unexpectedly resigned in January, just three days into the start of this year’s legislative session.
Wheeler’s abrupt departure left the rural district without representation for the entirety of the session.
Scott ran on a campaign of improving access to health care, quality education, workforce empowerment, and expanding infrastructure.
What People Are Saying
Keishan Scott said in a statement: “I’m humbled by the trust the people of District 50 have placed in me. This victory belongs to everyone who believes in a better future for our communities. Now I’m ready to get to work for the people of Lee, Sumter, and Kershaw Counties.”
The Democratic National Committee said Scott’s victory extends the party’s “overperformance streak” this year.
“As long as Trump and MAGA Republicans peddle an out-of-touch agenda that puts billionaires’ interests first and takes away health care from millions of Americans, they will continue to sink and lose,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Todd Rutherford, South Carolina’s House Democratic leader, hailed Tuesday as “a great night for Democrats.”
“Keishan proved what is possible when we organize and run a sharp, focused campaign—and his win sets the tone for 2026,” he said.
What Happens Next
Scott will serve the remainder of the term left vacant by Wheeler, who stepped down in January. This means Scott will hold the seat until after the general election in November of next year.
