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United States Senators from the State of South Carolina
Lindsey Graham (R)
Jim DeMint (R)

United States Representatives from the State of South Carolina
Total number of Representatives: 6
Republican Party: 5
Democratic Party: 1

Governor of the State of South Carolina
Nikki Haley (R)

State Senate of the State of South Carolina
Total number of Senators: 46
Republican Party: 27
Democratic Party: 19

State House of the State of South Carolina
Total number of
Representatives: 124
Republican Party: 75
Democratic Party: 48
Vacant: 1

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND STATE POLITICS

Presidential Election 2012

The Electoral College as is presently constituted has 538 members. The State of South Carolina is allotted 9 electoral votes. Being a winner-takes-all state, the winning candidate in South Carolina will receive all 9 electoral votes.
In Presidential election 2008, Senator McCain won South Carolina . He received 53.87% of the vote to Senator Obama's 44.90%.
[References: The Electoral College, 2012: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 2011]

U.S. House of Representatives Election in South Carolina, 2012

The State of South Carolina gained one additional congressional seat consequent to the 2010 United States census.
The new map with 7 congressional districts was signed in to law by Governor Nikki Haley on August 1, 2011.

Because of it's  past history of racial discrimination, South Carolina need the approval of either the Department of Justice or the federal District Court for the District of Columbia before it could make any changes to voting lines. The map was cleared by the DOJ in October 2011.

The primary election was held on June 12, 2012 and the necessary runoffs were concluded on June 26, 2012.
Following are the new districts and the candidates on ballot for the fall 2012 general election:

DISTRICT 1

Timothy Scott [R] Incumbent
Bobbi Rose [D] [Working Families Party]
Keith Blanford [Libertarian]

DISTRICT 2

Joe Wilson [R] Incumbent
No Democratic candidate filed

DISTRICT 3

Jeff Duncan [R] Incumbent
Brian Doyle [D]

Brian Doyle won in the Democratic party primary. However, Mr. Doyle has past felony convictions and the South Carolina Democratic Party may decide not to back him.

DISTRICT 4

Trey Gowdy [R] Incumbent
Deb Morrow [D] [Working Families Party]
Jeff Sumerel [Green]

DISTRICT 5

Mick Mulvaney [R] Incumbent
Joyce Knott [D] [Working Families Party]

DISTRICT 6

James Clyburn [D] Incumbent
Nammu Y. Muhammaf [Green]

DISTRICT 7

Tom Rice [R]
Gloria Bromell Tinubu [D] [Working Families]  

[References: South Carolina State Election Commission, 2012]                                        

Are Super Pac Ads Fair ?

[01-13-2012]
Every type of media in South Carolina - TV; Radio; Newspapers; Newsletters; - are full of political ads - mostly negative - and are being paid by Super Pacs supporting one candidate or another.

This started big time in Iowa by a super pac called Restore Our Future, supporting Governor Romney. These ads targeted former speaker Gingrich, and were severely negative. everyone interested in presidential politics now agree that these ads were primarily responsible for destroying Mr. Gingrich's chances of winning in Iowa. The trend continued in New Hampshire, except that during the last four or five days before the primary, a super pac supporting Mr. Gingrich started a negative ad campaign against Mr. Romney. These ads did not adversely affect Mr. Romney. Maybe there wasn't enough time for them to have any effect. Whatever the reason, Mr. Romney won big.

Now we are in South Carolina. And some supporters of Mr. Romney in high positions in the Republican party are criticizing Mr. Gingrich for the negative ads against Mr. Romney by the super pacs supporting Mr.Gingrich.

When the negative ads against Mr. Gingrich cluttered the airwaves in Iowa and New Hampshire, no one in the GOP asked Mr. Romney to stop those negative ads. But, Mr. Gingrich himself did. He requested Mr. Romney in rallies and in TV interviews to get the super pac to stop the negative ads. Mr. Romney's response was that he had no control over the super pac supporting him. He said that he possibly cannot have any connections with the super pac, and that, if he did, he will end up in the "Big House." , i.e. meaning jail.

As of today, Mr. Gingrich has made no indication that he is going to hold back on the negative ads against Mr. Romney in South Carolina. Polls today indicate that the negative ads in South Carolina are affecting Mr. Romney adversely. Whether it continues or not remains to be seen.
Following are a few comments by prominent GOPers:-
Sarah Palin - Governor Romney claims to have made 100,000 jobs. Asking for some proof of that is not unfair.
Rick Perry - When people kick workers out of jobs to make a quick buck, questions have to be answered.
Rudy Guliani - Attacks against Romney are "Ignorant and dumb."
South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint - Gingrich does not still appear to be in the game.
Gingrich - "Shocked at how defensive" Romney Camp is.
Gingrich - South Carolina is going to be Armageddon.
[References: MSNBC; CNN; and Fox News TV, 01-12-2012:
New York Times, 12 - 31 - 2011 - Nicholas Confessore and Jim Rutenberg- PAC Ads Rip at Gingrich As Romney Stands Clear: Retrieved on 01-13-2012]
  

South Carolina New Voting Act Blocked

[12-26-2011]
Department of Justice has blocked the voting laws passed by the South Carolina Legislature. The Attorney General of South Carolina is promising to fight it in court.
[References: MSNBC TV News, 12-23-2011: Retrieved on 12-26-2011]


POLITICAL NEWS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

South Carolina New Voting Act Blocked

[12-26-2011]
Department of Justice has blocked the voting laws passed by the South Carolina Legislature. The Attorney General of South Carolina is promising to fight it in court.
[References: MSNBC TV News, 12-23-2011: Retrieved on 12-26-2011]


Important New Voting Requirements In South Carolina [2011-11-17]
South Carolina is one of several states that has enacted new legislation that requires voters to show photo identification in order to vote.

However, South Carolina is covered by the Voting Rights Act and the law cannot go in to effect until either the Department of Justice  or a federal district court pre clears it. The law is currently under review by the Department of Justice.

The reason for the legislation, the Republicans say, is to prevent voter fraud. The Democrats say it is to suppress votes, especially those of the poor, the very elderly and the minorities. These groups tend to vote Democratic.

An outside observer would find it difficult to understand the reasoning for this legislation. If the Republicans suspect that voter fraud occurred in 2008 and 2010 elections, how is it that they did so well? They occupy the Governor's mansion. Both U.S. Senators from South Carolina are Republicans. Five out of six United States Representatives are Republicans. They control the state senate and the state house by very comfortable margins. In the last Presidential election in 2008 the Republican candidate Senator John McCain won easily against Senator Obama (53.87% to 44.90%).  So, one might wonder what voter fraud are they talking about and what more they want?

Irrespective of what the politicians of either party may say or do, the vast majority of the population in South Carolina, Democrats and Republicans alike, will be troubled if a fellow citizen is prevented from casting a vote due to lack of a photo identification. This is exactly what would happen if the law is cleared by the Department of Justice.

There is a remedy for this injustice. The workers of both parties and independent organizations of every type should recognize what has happened and set aside some time on a daily or weekly basis to assist those citizens that need help in getting a photo identification. The photo I.D. is issued free of charge.
This new legislation, if cleared by the Department of Justice, should not be permitted to deny a citizen's right to vote. Not so long ago, American blood was shed for the right to vote.
[References: Brennan Center for justice at New york University School of Law - (http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter id laws passed in 2011/ ) - United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2008-Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wk/iUnited Statespresidential election_in_South Carolina_2008,_2008#Result) Retrieved on 2011-11-15]