Newcomers Win in S.C. GOP Runoff

Political newcomers Shane Martin and Lee Bright have won their bids for the South Carolina Senate in a runoff election held on Tuesday.

Bright defeated the incumbent Jim Ritchie in a landslide for the seat in Senate District 12. Martin's race against Scott Talley in Senate District 13 was significantly closer, but in the end Martin was able to pick up the seat.

Both Martin and Bright are local businessmen whom the voters, along with S.C. Governor Mark Sanford, view as more sensitive to the needs and wishes of the people.

Although the South Carolina legislature has been controlled by the GOP in recent years, voters have been soured by the inability of legislators to work closely with a popular GOP Governor to enact sorely needed changes in the manner in which the statehouse does business.

A pronounced 'anti-incumbent' mentality swept the electorate in South Carolina, resulting from what voters saw as an inadequate response to illegal immigration and other key issues.