South Carolina gives GOP a ruby-red bright spot in midterms

By JAMES POLLARD
Associated Press/Report for America

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Republicans tallied key victories on a night when the GOP nationwide struggled to generate the wins historically associated with a midterm election under an opposing party’s president. They won the governor’s race by the largest margin in over 30 years and reached a supermajority in the legislature. South Carolina GOP officials attribute their success in part to a historically large ground campaign, strong candidates at the top and record straight-ticket voting. After sustaining such great losses, some state Democrats are questioning the enthusiasm among the party’s base. Democratic straight ticket vote totals fell dramatically compared to the number four years ago despite increased voter registration.