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by WILL FOLKS
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South Carolina’s Freedom Caucus was on the receiving end of a multi-million dollar smear campaign from the Palmetto State’s “Republican” establishment during the 2024 election cycle – yet the upstart conservative wing of the GOP managed to successfully defend all of its seats (and actually pick up a few districts) during last year’s primary elections.
This year, the caucus suffered through a major scandal involving its disgraced leader – former state representative RJ May III – which it then compounded via a disorganized, discombobulated response.
So far, though, the May scandal – and the caucus’ ham-fisted reaction to it – haven’t hurt its candidates at the polls.
Despite renewed attacks, Caucus-supported candidates won a pair of runoff elections for seats in the S.C. House of Representatives on Tuesday – flipping an Upstate district previously held by an establishment Republican and retaining the Midlands seat previously held by May.
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In S.C. House District 21 (.pdf) – which includes parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties – former teacher and conservative grassroots leader Dianne Mitchell defeated establishment-backed businessman Steve Nail by the narrowest of margins.
With all precincts reporting, Mitchell received 1,536 votes (or 50.36% of all ballots cast) compared to 1,514 votes for Nail (49.64%). Because Mitchell’s margin of victory was less than one percent, there will be a mandatory recount in the race.
Mitchell was blistered by negative ads from the so-called S.C. Growth and Freedom Alliance – a dark money group organized by supporters of status quo S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith.
“Dianne Mitchell is endorsed by a group that voted to defund the police, block tax cuts, and worked with and paid a convicted pedophile,” the group claimed in its ads, referencing the Freedom Caucus and attempting to link Mitchell to May’s deplorable conduct.
Voters weren’t buying it… with Mitchell’s victory marking another legislative pick-up for the conservative wing of the Republican party. This seat was previously held by state representative Bobby Cox, who resigned back in August to campaign for an open seat in the S.C. Senate. Cox abruptly suspended his Senate campaign ahead of the Labor Day holiday, however, prompting considerable speculation amongst Palmetto politicos as to the reason for his sudden withdrawal from the race.
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The GOP establishment also lost out on its chance to flip a seat previously held by the Freedom Caucus in the Midlands region of the state. With all precincts reporting in S.C. House District 88 (.pdf), Lexington County pastor John Lastinger – who was backed by Freedom Caucus members – received 1,370 votes (52.43% of all ballots cast) compared to 1,243 votes (47.57%) for county recreation commissioner Brian Duncan.
The same status quo dark money group loyal to Smith and his establishment allies also tried to smear Lastinger.
“John Lastinger is backed by convicted pedophile RJ May’s shady network including a state representative who owes RJ May money,” the group said in attacking his candidacy.
As with the Upstate race, Midlands GOP voters weren’t buying it…
While it’s important not to read too much into the results of a pair of low-turnout special elections, it’s also important not to ignore their significance as potential bellwethers for this coming spring’s Republican partisan primary elections. These special elections were, after all, the first electoral test of whether RJ May’s considerable baggage – and the status quo’s well-funded attempt to shove it down the Freedom Caucus’ throat – would sway voters back toward conventional (i.e. more liberal) Republican candidates.
Early returns indicate the GOP electorate is willing to look past the May drama and continue supporting candidates who stick to the stated principles of the Republican party… not the left-leaning party it has become under Smith and his establishment allies.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
I’m never going to castigate a political group, be it left, right, or middle, because one of its members or leaders is suddenly found out to be something vile and by its very nature, carefully hidden and thus completely unknown to that group. If it’s something the group has publicly expressed favor, sympathy or even mere tolerance towards, or was aware of but chose to turn a blind eye to it, well then that’s a different story. If I vote against communists and neo-marxist groups, it’s going to be because of what those policies mean and how badly they have worked – not because one guy was busted for something morally repugnant yet hidden so well that even their own spouse had no clue. I’ve not heard one person in the Freedom Caucus ever say that they had even the slightest inkling of what RJ May was doing before he was busted – and more importantly, not one person who was his adversary – and thus would have been pleased as punch to out the guy in the most public fashion possible – ever said a single word about any of May’s horrible shit before he was busted. The average person gets this and sees through the BS, thankfully.
I know thats right, all I’ve heard from people in the Freedom caucus was how May was a bully and some dispute over land and how he was leading like a tyrant.
The people I know in the freedom caucus just like talking about politics, church, they are in their 70s and get super proud when they endorse someone. I guess they split from the caucus because of May acting like a tyrant but with him gone, maybe now they can get everyone together and start running their party again.